Cirque Mystique
by newbienovelistRD
Summary: Adeline is a normal teenage girl with all the normal problems of growing up. But when the most unusual circus comes to her quiet little town, she believes things won't be normal for long. But will it be for better for or worse?
1. Chapter 1

**Here is an original story done by guestsurprise! Enjoy and no flames please!**

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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE PRESENT TO YOU…THE UNIVERSE'S MOST UNIQUE AND MYSTERIOUS CIRCUS!

Picture the lights going dark and before you know it…you are surrounded by large and beautiful creatures. Creatures that make you surprised and stand in awe because…they look….unusual. Now follow me as I tell you a tale of what happens when you run away to a circus. A circus called….Cirque Mystique.

Adeline was a young teen that wanted to get away from it all. She wanted to get away from reality. She was tired of school, being with frustrated teachers, and being with a foster family that didn't act like they wanted her around. She just wanted to leave it all. Many a day, she would sit by her window and wish for school to be over so that she could spend more time to herself.

Finally, the day came when school was over. The next year she was going to be a senior! But that could wait because she was ready to spend the summer by herself. That is…until she heard the news.

"We're sorry Adeline." Her foster mother said sadly.

"What do you mean?" Adeline asked.

"We can't afford to keep you anymore. We will be separating and we don't want you involved in this. We have already spoken to them about sending you to another family," the father replied.

"You're ditching me?!" Adeline snapped.

"No! We just don't want you caught in any legal matters because we are separating!" the mother said.

Adeline just nodded sadly and walked away to her room. Why did she have to be sent away?! Especially after finally getting settled. After all, she had only been with this family for one year. As she walked into her room and jumped on her bed, she glanced out into the open field that she knew to be her escape. Being in the open field, she could lay down in the tall grass and let the breeze pass over her face and body.

"I don't want to leave here," she said sadly, now feeling the wind blowing down her face from the open window. But for now…there was nothing she could do. As she looked around at the clock, she noticed that it was getting late. It was almost 10:00 am!

"Guess I better get ready for bed," she thought. She didn't like the idea of her world being turned upside down, but how could she say 'no' to her foster parents.

As she began to walk to the bathroom to get dressed for bed, she noticed that there was movement in the field. She noticed large trucks began to trample over the grass, park, and soon workers began to appear.

"What are they doing?!" Adeline gasped. "They'll ruin the field!"

Even though that piece of land didn't belong to her or her family, she loved the greenery and the large and dense forest behind their house.

As quick as saying 'stop', she threw on her jacket and raced out the door and into the darkness. The men were just beginning to set up and were somewhat stunned at the new girl in their midst.

"Who are you guys?! What are you doing?!" she gasped.

"And whoooo are youuu?" the man asked, now turning and making eye contact. Adeline flinched a bit as the worker's eyes seemed to peer right into her soul!

"I-I'm Adeline! Who are you guys?!" she asked again. But she gasped as another worker spoke in grunts and moans that she couldn't understand.

"Mmmmmhyyyyymfmfmmm," he groaned, now looking at her and showing her that he had some kind of creepy limp.

"W-What did he say?" she said, now being a bit afraid. The workers only chuckled and looked at her even closer.

"He was only saying hello little human. I mean…little one," one of the workers replied lowly.

Now Adeline was scared! These workers were acting downright creepy!

"Now now young men…let the young lady have her space," a deep voice said. Adeline turned and saw a young man come into view and he had on a large top hat. "I apologize young one. My workers are always in a playful mood."

"That's ok," Adeline said, trying to hide her shyness.

"You are not afraid are you?" he smirked, now running a hand through his black hair.

"Of course not!" Adeline snapped. "And who are you?!"

"You will see in due time. After all, I can't give myself away too soon. We haven't even put up fliers yet," the young man chuckled.

"Fliers?" Adeline asked.

The young man gave her a small smirk and then pulled out a large black wand with a white tip. In the blink of an eye and a snap of his wrist, a flier appeared on the side of one of the trucks. As Adeline's eyes adjusted, they widened in shock. The flier read :

THE ONE AND ONLY CIRQUE MYSTIQUE

"C-Cirque Mystique?" Adeline asked. "I've never heard of this circus before."

"That is because not many have the opportunity to see us," the young man said, now ushering Adeline back towards her house. "Come…it is getting late. You need to return to your home."

Adeline slowly walked back towards her house, but as she turned to ask one more question, the young man was gone. Stunned, she looked hard but the workers kept working as if nothing ever happened too! There was something strange happening in their quiet town. Something strange and mysterious indeed!

* * *

 **guestsurprise: Well everyone…the adventure has begun!**


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Adeline jumped out of her bed and raced outside. Her eyes widened at what she saw. She saw a large circus tent already up and fliers being placed around the field. Many people were already crowding around, but the gate was closed so no one could enter. Of course, that didn't stop Adeline. She raced around the back and saw a group of circus performers putting on their costumes.

"This is amazing!" Adeline squeaked in glee, now watching them. But as she got closer, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry little one. You cannot be in this part of the area," a voice said. Adeline turned and saw the ringmaster smiling at her. The same young man from earlier.

"Oh sorry. But I would love to come and see the show! How much for a ticket?!" she smiled happily.

"10 dollars," the ringmaster smiled.

"Oh! Perfect!" Adeline grinned, now pulling out her money. The ringmaster chuckled and took the money from her.

"You are definitely an excitable young one." He chuckled, pulling a ticket from his pocket and handing it to her.

"Thanks!" Adeline smiled, now running around the corner and to quickly stand in line. She had not been to a real circus in years and she couldn't wait to go in!

But as she got up to the door, she was disappointed. The show didn't begin until that night.

"Man! I was ready to see one now," she whined. But as she turned to walk back to her home, she heard some of the performers talking. Curious, she leaned against the tent and peered into a small hole.

"These humans are curious beings. I hope they are not frightened too badly," one of them said, now stretching and revealing a long fluffy tail.

"They will be fine. After all, they will not know what is fiction and what is reality," another chuckled. Adeline's eyes opened wide as she saw one of them stretch and reveal long wings on their back!

"Woah! They must have some kind of cool make-up or costumes or something!" Adeline grinned, now becoming more excited. This was definitely going to be the best show ever.

As she walked away from the tent, she noticed something. There was one wagon that was covered with a red and gold cloth and it said 'Do Not Disturb!' Adeline knew that she could be caught at anytime, but she couldn't stay away from this circus! It finally brought life and something new to the town! As she creeped closer to the quiet wagon, she slowly lifted a small part of the cover that was over the lower window and was met with a gentle snoring sound. Squinting, she got a glimpse of another young man's face. He appeared strong, but very handsome. He had brown hair that covered some of his eyes, but the back was shorter than the front. He had a thin vest on and shorts.

The being slowly opened one eye and then another and then looked at Adeline with curiosity as she gazed at him through the window. Adeline gasped as he slowly rose up from his resting position and crawled closer to her. Now scared because she remembered the do not disturb sign, she quickly dropped the curtain and moved back!

"Oh no! I woke it up!" she squealed in horror, now moving back so bad that she fell on her backside.

But all she saw was an arm reach out from the window and begin feeling around for her. Letting out a shout in horror, she scrambled to her feet to run. She had done enough!

* * *

Later that night, Adeline happily sat in her seat and grinned widely as the curtains opened! Elephants, lions, and tigers began prancing around the arena and clowns began tossing candy and peanuts to children!

"Come one come all and enjoy the wonderful show!" the ringmaster called out. "Ringmaster Evander at your service!"

And with that, he did a flip where he landed on the side of the arena and all of the crowd cheered, but Adeline was stunned! He just did a double flip that could have easily killed him if he landed wrong. It was…inhuman!

"How did he do that?!" one girl asked.

"THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!" They cheered.

"More! MORE!" The boys thundered!

"EVANDER! EVANDER! EVANDER!" The crowd said, now getting more and more excited.

"You are too kind. Now let's continue with this show!" Evander smiled, now flipping back into the center of the ring and waving his wand. "Pegasus! Centaurs! Minotaurs! Come to me!"

And with that, everyone gasped as the room began to be filled with prancing, dancing, and flying beasts of legend! Everyone was ooing and awing about how the costumes were magnificent but they looked real to Adeline!

Just to take a stab in the dark, Adeline got really close to the edge and put her hand out. As a centaur passed by, she felt the gentle hair! She gasped in shock because it was no costume…it felt REAL!

"Y-You're…" she said in pure shock. The centaur only smirked at her and continued to prance around the arena. But soon she felt a rough hand tough her shoulder and saw an angry security guard.

"Little lady! No touching the exhibits!" he snapped.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. The guard nodded and walked away. But as she turned back to the arena, she saw the Ringermaster Evander then pointed to the darkness!

"Come forth being from another world! Come forth!" Evander called. The entire room then went quiet as they heard grunts as some of the clowns escorted a tall young and muscular man into their midst. He was unusually tall and wore a golden collar around his neck. Adeline's eyes widened as she noticed he was the same young man in the cage from earlier.

As the young man was placed in the middle of the ring, the top of the tent was opened and the moonlight began to shine inside the room. The entire crowed ooed and awed again, but then went silent as Evander pointed to the collar and his eyes and wand glowed.

"Colossus…show them what you can do!" Evander thundered, now walking backwards and watching him smile.

"As you wish," came the quiet reply. Soon, Colossus closed his eyes and stretched. The entire audience then began to scream as he began to grow and grow and grow! Soon he reached all the way outside the tent!

"GIANT!" A boy screamed.

"He's a giant!" Another lady wailed, now fainting.

"Mommy!" A little girl screamed.

"No honey, it's just special lighting! It's not real," the mother comforted, but everyone then began clapping as the large giant winked and with a splash of light, he was back to his normal height!

"MORE! MORE!" They all screamed in glee.

"BEST SHOW EVER!" The kids called out.

"Thank you! Thank you! And now for the grande finale!" Evander grinned, now making his wand set off fireworks and the flying Pegasus' flew around the room dropping balloons and confetti! The Minotaurs then began throwing out fliers about the next town the show would be in!

Adeline happened to grab one, but was shocked when she read it. The show would only be in their town for one more night!

"They're leaving so soon!" She said. "I wonder why!" Truth be told, it was a strange circus but she loved it! She enjoyed the mysteries and fun!

After the show was over and people began heading out, Adeline tried to stay inside. She wanted to speak to the Ringmaster. As she walked to the back of the tent, she heard someone behind her.

"Looking for someone?" the voice asked. Adeline slowly turned and saw Ringmaster Evander behind her. "You know you really should head home."

"I know that but I wanted to talk to you," Adeline said.

"Oh?" he asked, now sitting down on a nearby bench. "Speak on, young one."

"I know you all aren't just a regular circus," she said.

"Really? And why do you say that?" he asked, now adjusting his black top hat and his red Ringmaster jacket.

"Well you just did a flip that easily could have broken all of your bones," Adeline said. Evander only chuckled.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I'm sure others could have done it."

"I don't think so," Adeline said with a smirk, now walking closer. "But why are you all leaving so soon?"

"That's just how the show is. We move around consistently," Evander grinned. Adeline gave a visible grimace of sadness and he noticed. "Would you like to come and walk around with me for a bit?"

"Yes!" she said happily, now making him chuckle as he stood and walked with her.

He then motioned for her to go through the curtain and she smiled as she saw a few of the performers watching her. The clowns and the trapeze artists were the first to greet her and then she met some of the jugglers and fire breathers.

"This is amazing! But what happened to the others?" Adeline asked.

"Which others?" Evander asked.

"You know? The ones that weren't like the others?" Adeline asked.

"Hmmm…you must mean my workers in the costumes. I'm sure they have undressed by now," Evander replied nonchalantly, now walking towards the end of the tent to the exit. "Come…the moon is high in the sky."

But as she was walking towards the exit, she noticed the large wagon again. But this time the blanket was lifted up from the window and she once again saw the young man eyeing her carefully. She tilted her head curiously and he did as well.

"I see you've met Colossus," Evander smirked.

"Well, sort of," she said timidly.

"He is a guest of ours. He comes to help out now and then with the show," Evander smiled. But he noticed Adeline's curiosity and even her concern. Colossus arched an eyebrow and gave a small smirk in amusement. "You know…if you have not formally met him, why not meet him now? After all you may not be able to meet him tomorrow."

"B-But he's the giant!" Adeline squeaked as Evander pushed her towards the wagon.

"Oh now don't be concerned. We are a humble circus…do you really believe that Colossus or any of us could be 'magic?' After all, in this world, magic does not exist," Evander smirked, now pushing her closer.

Adeline's eyes widened as she saw Colossus sit up and lean out his window to see her better. His light brown eyes peered at her as she approached. Once she was in front of the window, the young man looked down at her and gave her a warm smile. He then spoke in a language she could not understand.

"W-What did he say?" she asked.

"Oh…she is from this area Colossus. She would not understand your native tongue or any of ours for that matter," Evander said gently. Colossus nodded and then looked at her again.

"I apologize. And what is your name?" Colossus asked.

"M-My name is Adeline," she said softly.

"Nice to meet you." He greeted. He then stood up and began to stretch. "Please excuse me. I need to…take care of something."

"Yes, we all do. Come Adeline. Time for us all to get some rest," Evander whispered, now turning and showing her the way back home.

Adeline nodded and began to walk back to her home, but as she turned to glance over her shoulder, she saw Colossus leaving his wagon and entering deeper into the forest. Even though she knew that she shouldn't, something inside of her told her to follow.

And that is exactly what she did.

* * *

 **guestsurprise: What do you think will happen?**

 **newbienovelistRD: Something tells me this is where the story really begins...**


	3. Chapter 3

As Adeline followed him into the forest, she noticed that as he walked, he took off the golden collar around his neck.

"Much better," he sighed out.

As Adeline got closer, she was curious as she heard voices. Deep, loud, and booming voices!

"What on Earth?" she said outloud.

"Colossus! Come and join us!" a voice called.

"Yes, how was it in the human world?!" another voice called.

"Those humans…what strange creatures. I wonder what they are like?" a feminine voice asked.

Now Adeline was thoroughly confused. How could they be asking about stuff about humans?

 _'We are all humans.'_ she thought. As she pushed through the thick brush, her eyes widened and her mouth hung open. She was in the midst of giants! Large beings that towered over her and any human. In fact, her head would probably only reach his knee. Colossus was sitting in the midst of them and telling them about the day.

"Yes, humans are very interesting creatures. And many of them do not believe we exist," Colossus explained.

"Are they food?" another asked. That made Adeline gasp and her eyes widen even more!

"I do not believe so. I am still learning about them. But I admit, they do look chewy. Perhaps one day I will see if they are food," Colossus smirked.

That did it! Adeline let out a short scream at those words! All of the giants turned and looked in her direction.

"What is that?" a giant girl asked.

"A young human." Another giant observed.

"Why, it is the youngling from earlier," Colossus said, now looking in her direction. But he noticed her wide eyes and she looked even more horrified when he looked at her.

"You're right…they do look chewy," another giant smirked, now licking his lips.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed, now scrambling to her feet and turning to run away in horror!

"Human! Human, wait!" the young girl giant called.

"She saw us! We've got to capture her!" another giant said, now standing.

"Stop! You'll frighten her even more! I'll go after her!" Colossus called, now standing and walking briskly after her.

Meanwhile, Adeline was tearing through the forest as fast as she could. She had to get out of there! The problem? The way back to her home disappeared! She was trapped in the forest!

"Which way, which way?!" she gasped.

"Come back! Stop! Come back here!" Colossus called, now running after her.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, MONSTER!" Adeline screamed, now running as fast as she could. As she ran, she noticed an old abandoned brick house. She didn't even care if it belonged to someone; she ran inside and ran for the basement! She then hid in a closet and held her chest in pure fear. This was an old cabin that was abandoned and had been in the forest for years, but yet most people complained that it was haunted and hard to find. Now miraculously, she found it!

"This is a dream, this is a dream, this is a dream," she chanted to herself. But she stopped as she heard heavy footsteps.

"Where are you? Youngling, come out," a voice called. Adeline whimpered and hid even more. "Listen, you have seen us so you need to come with me. If you come quietly you won't be harmed."

Adeline rolled her eyes, but then she gasped as she saw a mouse in the room with her. Terrified, she burst back out but screamed as she saw Colossus' eye peering in the basement window.

"I thought I smelled you down there. Come here," he said, now sticking his entire hand through the wall , and breaking it, to get her!

"NO! Leave me alone! You monster!" she screamed. Colossus' eye narrowed.

"I'm not a monster." He said sternly.

"You all are trying to eat me! You even said I looked chewy!" she said, now looking for a way out.

"Youngling, you must calm down or else you will make this worse!" Colossus said. But as he tried to grab her, Adeline bit down hard on his hand making him wince. His eyes then narrowed angrily. "That does it!"

She then screamed as he made another grab for her, but she ducked and ran up the stairs. She then ran inside an empty bedroom and hid in another closet.

But at that moment, Colossus peered into the upper window and glanced around each bedroom. He then sniffed the air and his eyes opened slowly.

"There you are," he said lowly. He then reached into the bed room and reached for the closet. Once he tore off the door, Adeline screamed as loud as she could. She could feel his fingers feeling around the clothes for her and he was occasionally grabbing clothes too! Growling lowly, he grabbed her and a handful of clothes and snatched her back through to him. "I said calm down!"

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Adeline protested as she was trying to get untangled from the clothes.

"Hush, you're only making this worse," Colossus said, now walking back towards the others with Adeline in his hands. But the young girl continued to scream and push on his hands, demanding release! She had been captured by a giant!

* * *

Two hours later…

"Colossus, what happened?" Evander asked, now seeing Colossus with a handful of clothes.

"The young human. She has seen me and my kind." Colossus explained, now peeking in the clothes and seeing Adeline had fallen unconscious due to her struggling.

"I see. So she has see the giants' realm," Evander said.

"Yes and now we need to speak with the others," Colossus said.

"About what?" Evander said, now standing and looking at him sternly. "You're not thinking about that, are you?"

"I don't have a choice," Colossus said. "She has seen me and therefore I have to follow protocol."

"What do you mean?" Evander asked. "Everyone in the show saw you."

"But that was in the form of a magic trick. She has seen me in my true form. I'm a giant and I told you I would help you put on an act as long as my true identify was not revealed." Colossus said sternly.

"But she's only a girl. You cannot do this Colossus. It would frighten her beyond belief." Evander replied.

"Do you think I want to do this? Of course not! But you remember the last human that said that they would not tell our secret. They could not even keep it quiet for two years," Colossus replied. "I had to do everything in my power to keep my people from invading this world and destroying it in anger. They want their privacy."

"I understand that. However, there must be another way," Evander replied, now pointing at the bundle in Colossus' hands. "She will not survive when we travel from realm to realm."

"That will be fine. She will be under my personal watch and yours." Colossus smirked, now wiggling his brown eyebrows.

"You must be, as humans say, joking. I have no time to watch over a human child," Evander said, now arching an eyebrow.

"And neither do I, but we have no choice. She will become one of us and she will learn our way of life," Colossus said, now sitting down and gently moving the bundle back and revealing the sleeping girl. He then noticed she was slowly waking up.

Adeline slowly opened her eyes and sat up, but gasped as she saw she was sitting in the giant's hands. She turned around and saw Evander looking at her and placing his hands up in concern.

"Calm down, now calm down. Do not be afraid young one. It seems you have discovered a secret about Colossus here," Evander said, now glancing at the giant behind her. Adeline looked over her shoulder and gasped at the large being behind her. She then jumped out of his hands and got tangled in the blankets and clothes.

"Youngling, calm down," Colossus said softly, now laying down on his stomach and gently moving the clothes back so he could see her. He then pulled out the golden collar and it slowly began shrinking him down. When he was small enough, he placed it on his neck.

Adeline angrily moved the clothes back and saw both of them looking at her.

"Little one…we need to talk," Evander replied, now kneeling beside her.

"Help me get away from him! He's going to eat me! He's dangerous!" Adeline wailed, crawling over to Evander and hiding behind him. Colossus let out a sigh and ran a hand down his face.

"Colossus will not harm you. But you do realize that by not going home like I asked you and following him, you cannot return home now," Evander said gravely, now glancing over his shoulder at her. He then brought her gently around to where he could see her better.

"W-What do you mean?" she asked.

"It means," Colossus started. "That you belong to the circus now. After all, we cannot have you returning and telling the entire world about us."

"W-What?! You can't do that!" Adeline protested.

"It has already been done, Adeline," Colossus whispered, now pulling her to him and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Adeline pushed him back and felt something on her head. As she jumped to her feet and looked in a nearby puddle, she had a jewel on her forehead.

"That jewel binds you to us. Adeline…welcome to the Cirque Mystique," Evander replied with a small bow. Adeline gulped hard! What on Earth had she gotten into!

* * *

 **guestsurprise: Oh my! Interesting no?**

 **newbienovelistRD: It's BEYOND interesting! I'm on pins and needles to find out what's gonna happen next! :O**


	4. Chapter 4

"WHAT?! You can't do that!" Adeline protested. "I can't just run away and join the circus!"

"I know this is hard for you, but you will learn to enjoy it here," Evander replied.

Adeline turned away in fear and curled in on herself. She was terrified. Evander walked up to her, but she tore away from him.

"No! This can't be! You can't do this! This is kidnapping!" she snapped, now running away from them.

"Shouldn't we go after her?" Colossus asked, now standing but Evander grabbed his arm.

"No. Give her time. That stone has caused her to become one of us. She cannot go back to her home." Evander replied gently.

"But what if she runs back to her home right now?" Colossus asked.

"She will not be able to find her way," Evander replied, now turning and walking towards the tent. "Come. The circus will be leaving in a few hours."

Colossus nodded, but turned in the direction where Adeline ran. "She can get lost in the forest." He then turned and whistled to the sky. Soon, a cry of an eagle came in response. Then a griffin appeared and landed on the ground with a large thud.

"You called for me master." He said lowly.

"There is a young human who has just joined our circus." The giant replied.

"A human?!" the griffin asked in surprise.

"And no! You may not eat her. She belongs to the circus now and is under my protection and Evander's." the giant replied sternly. The griffin growled, but nodded in understanding. "Good, now go and find her."

"As you wish," the griffin bowed gently. And with only a flap of his wings, he took off into the sky!

Meanwhile, Adeline was running as fast a she could through the forest. She was determined to find a way back home.

"I've got to get out of here!" she said, now running faster and faster. But as she ran, she failed to see a branch leaning lower from a tree and it was camouflaged in the darkness. She screamed as she felt the smack and it knocked her down on the ground. She cried a bit as she felt a bump, but tried her hardest not to cry. But before she could say anything, she felt something grab the back of her shirt and take off into the sky!

"HEY! LET ME GO! LET ME GO NOW!" She screamed.

"Keep squirming human and I just might," the griffin growled. Adeline looked down and saw that she was soaring high above the trees and squealed in horror.

"H-Help! Help!" she cried out.

"Stop yelling! You'll cause a scene!" the griffin said, now swooping down from the sky and tossing her into a pile of hay. Adeline cried as she crawled out of the hay and felt her sore head. She was definitely having a terrible day.

"This is horrible! I've been kidnapped by the circus and now giants want to eat me too!" Adeline cried gently, now feeling her sore head. What she didn't here was someone slowly walking up behind her.

"Poor little one. Are you alright?" a voice soothed. Adeline turned and saw a large serpent-like creature slither out of the darkness. "Come here and let me sssssssssssssee to your woundsssssss."

He then raised himself up and prepared himself to strike, but Colossus grabbed his neck in a split second.

"Secar, this human is not food!" Colossus growled.

"What?! What do you mean?! No humans are allowed back here," the serpent replied.

"I know, but she is one of us now." Colossus said, now releasing the serpent. The serpent shook himself and then turned back to the girl and changed into a humanoid snake-like creature.

"Apologiesssssss, I did not know you were one of ussssssss." Secar soothed. But Adeline only burst more into tears.

"Perfect! I'm in a circus where EVERYONE wants to eat me!" Adeline sobbed, now sinking down in a mud.

"Oh now, now…shhhh. Come now, no tears," Colossus said, now picking her up from the mud and carrying her to the back of the circus and towards a large lake. "Let's get you freshened up hmm?"

"I-I don't want to get freshened up; I wanna go home," Adeline sobbed, now trying to wipe the mud off of her.

"Now calm down, just calm down. We do not want to eat you. They all just need to know you are one of us. I am going to take you to some friends of ours. They will help you freshen up," Colossus smiled, now carrying her to the lake.

Adeline slowly turned at the sound of splashing and music. As she turned, she saw mermaids swimming around in the water.

"Hello there," one of them singsonged. But Adeline screamed in horror!

"No! They'll want to drown me!" she said, now squirming hard.

"Don't worry. I will explain." Colossus said, now turning to the mermaids. "This young human is Adeline. She is one of us. She belongs to our circus now."

"A human?!" One of them gasped.

"How will she survive?!" Another asked.

"It is fine. We will make sure she is protected." Colossus said, now placing Adeline down. "Please see to her wounds. We will be performing soon."

"We?!" Adeline gasped.

"Of course. You will be in some of the acts," Colossus winked.

But before Adeline could be protest, Colossus began to walk away. Adeline was about to follow, but one of the mermaids gently grabbed her leg.

"Hold on there. Come here," she smiled, now pulling the young girl in. As Adeline surfaced, she felt the mermaids swim around her and began scrubbing her arms and cleaning the wound on her forehead.

"Are you alright?" one of them asked.

"Not really," Adeline said sadly.

"Oh come now," a deep said. Adeline turned and screamed as more of the giants from earlier came out.

"Hey, hey, calm down," a tall one said, now bending down and smiling at her.

"Yes, we aren't going to eat you." The giant girl said.

"Now that we know you belong to Colossus and Cirque Mystique you will be one of us," the giant smiled.

"I would never belong here. I'm just a human," Adeline said sadly.

"Hey," a mermaid smiled, now lifting Adeline's chin. "If they allowed you to be a part of us, then you do belong."

"They could have destroyed you." Another mermaid answered.

"Yes, the giants are very protective over their privacy." Another mermaid said, making Adeline gulp.

"But, that was before we knew who you were. Now relax…you will enjoy being a part of our world," the biggest giant chuckled, now letting a finger gently wiggle on Adeline's chin, making her giggle.

"Quite a cute human." Another giant crooned.

"I like her already," the giant girl smiled. The others chuckled and then stood and walked back through the dense forest. Adeline let out a sigh of happiness. Having the giants like her was making things easier.

"There, all better," a mermaid said, now putting the rest of the healing salve on her head and wounds.

"Thanks," Adeline said shyly.

"Don't be so shy little one. You will get used to us. Hey! What are those?" a mermaid asked, now looking down in the clear water and seeing Adeline's toes. She dove down and began gently running her nails over them. Adeline began laughing immediately and then began gently tickling the mermaid's tail in retaliation. The mermaid began giggling under the water and surfaced.

"Why you little mischief maker," the mermaid chuckled, now wrapping her arms around Adeline. "I like you Adeline. My name is Shell."

"Nice to meet you Shell," Adeline chirped back.

Within a few moments, Evander walked through the brush and grinned. "Come little one. It is time for our show."

"What am I supposed to do?" Adeline asked, now seeing him extend his hand and she took it.

"You will join me in the ring as the assistant ringmaster for now," Evander grinned.

"What?!" she gasped.

"Yes, you will enjoy it." Evander replied. But Adeline couldn't help but be excited! This was going to be the experience of a lifetime!

Meanwhile…

Colossus was explaining to all of them who Adeline was so that no one could mistake her for food or for an intruder. Adeline was nervous and waited to see everyone's reactions. But surprisingly, no one said anything. They all grinned at her.

"Welcome," the centaurs smiled, now coming forward. Adeline recognized him as the one she touched before. Feeling shy, she slowly slid behind Evander, making the centaur chuckle. "Oh, you're not shy are you?"

"Come on out little one. Don't be afraid," a unicorn chuckled, now coming around and nudging her with his nose.

"Come. We want to meet you," a minotaur snorted playfully. Adeline slowly came out from behind Evander and smiled shyly.

"Nice to meet you," Adeline said, now blushing. But then she giggled as the beings came forward and began sniffing her and nuzzling her. "EEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!"

"Well well where is this laughter coming from?" the centaur smiled, now gently poking her in her side.

"I am not sure, but I like it," the unicorn smiled, now nuzzling more.

"I believe it is what the humans call…ticklish," Colossus smiled, now poking Adeline right in her stomach. The young girl was soon in stitches as she gently knelt down to the ground and the beings continued to playfully greet her. After a few minutes, they stopped to let her breathe. As Adeline sat up, Evander helped her to her feet.

"Welcome little one. Now then…let's all get ready for the show. Once we are done with this one, we will head to another realm." Evander said.

"W-What other realm?" Adeline asked curiously.

"Do not worry about that now. We will talk about that later." Evander smiled, now ushering her towards the trapeze artists. "Help this little one get into costume."

"Ok," they replied, now leading Adeline towards the back room. Once she was gone, the centaur turned to Evander.

"Which realm are we heading to after Earth?" the centaur asked.

"We will be heading to Ryu's realm." Evander replied.

"King Ryu?!" a griffin asked.

"Yes, Ryu…the dragon king," Evander replied. That made everyone stop and look at him. Traveling to different realms was always full of adventure, but it was a whole different story when you enter the realm of the dragon king.

Meanwhile…

"Colossus…be careful when entering the dragon king's realm," a large giant said.

"Yes, those beings cannot be trusted. Especially Ryu." A female giant replied.

"I know. I do not think we should go at all, but Ryu has paid a very high price for entertainment." Colossus said.

"Entertainment hmm? Colossus…just make sure you understand what type of entertainment he is looking for. Especially now that you all have a new addition to your team." A giant warned. Colossus turned to his friend, known as Thunderfoot.

"What do you mean Thunderfoot?" Colossus asked.

"Now that you all have a human in your midst, that could be trouble." Thunderfoot said. "Ryu has eyes and ears everywhere. He may already know you have a human."

"But that is no concern of his," Colossus replied.

"Colossus…Ryu has never cared whether something concerns him or not. He is the dragon king. He knows no boundaries. When you go to their realm, make sure Adeline says very little and she stays in disguise or out of sight. If Ryu knows you have a human, he will do what he does to every human that has ever gotten into his realm by accident. Eat them." Thunderfoot said gravely, making the entire area of the forest go silent.

* * *

 **guestsurprise: Oh my! There is a lot happening.**

 **newbienovelistRD: AWESOME! Love it, Amiga! Btw, to answer your question, Transformers is okay, but I'm not like a die hard fan, y'know?**


	5. Chapter 5

Adeline's eyes brightened up as she helped Evander in the ring. She would occasionally hold his cape and his top hat from time to time. That is…until he decided to spicen things up.

"Stand still," he whispered, now placing his forehead against her stone. Once he did, the stone lit up a bit and then it stopped glowing. Adeline was confused, however, because she could not see it light up.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"You will see. Now go to the griffins' cage. It is time for you to help with them," Evander grinned, now ushering her towards the cage. But Adeline let out a shout of fright as the griffins looked wild and out of control as they flew around and let out shrieks of anger.

"They will eat me!" she gasped.

"Close your eyes, relax, and take a few deep breaths," Evander replied, his white eyes now glowing as he gently squeezed her shoulder from behind. Adeline closed her eyes and did what she was told. After a second, her eyes opened and they glowed white too. She then walked forward with boldness that she didn't have before! She entered the cage and grabbed a chair and a staff. Once a griffin would try and nip at her, she gave him a warning smack with the staff.

"What is a small human doing in here?!" a griffin snapped. These griffins were wild and did not respect anyone if they acted fearful or unsure of themselves.

"Calm down," Adeline said sternly, now keeping her staff handy.

"Calm down it says…why this human is no more than an infant," another one sneered. The one that knew Adeline from before looked at her in concern.

"Remain in control! Don't let them frighten you," it called, now dodging a claw from its' peer. Adeline nodded and smacked another griffin with the staff when it tried to claw at her back. She then somehow did a flip on the complete far side of the cage! She was in shock because she had no idea how she did that! Within a moment, all of the griffins were in a row and kneeling before her respectfully. The audience roared with happiness at the sight before them! A young girl just made beasts of legend kneel! Adeline was snapped out of her thoughts by the roar of the crowd. Evander then walked inside the cage with her and had her take a bow.

"Well, well…you're very brave for a human," one griffin said, making Adeline look at him.

"What do you mean?" Adeline asked, now looking at the chair and staff in her hands. "I don't even know how I did all this! It's like I just…knew."

"That is how magic works," a griffin said, now glancing at Evander who was watching with a small grin on his face. He then motioned for her to bow with him and the entire crowd was in an uproar even more! Adeline's eyes shined as the crowd cheered for her and she got tears in her eyes.

"T-This is amazing," she whispered to herself. No one had ever showed this much enthusiasm for anything she did! She just helped tame beasts that are technically myths and did things she had never been able to do before!

"How are you feeling?" Evander soothed, now glancing at her. She looked over at him and grinned.

"WONDERFUL! No one has ever been this excited for things I've done!" Adeline grinned happily.

He nodded and then after the crowd died down, Evander walked with her towards the back of the tent.

"You did great," Colossus grinned, now looking at Adeline.

"Thanks. I appreciate it," she blushed, now seeing the others come over and greet her. Even the snake being gave her a friendly rub in congratulations.

"And there will be more shows for you to learn even more skills," A mermaid splashed from a nearby pool.

"I can't wait!" Adeline said. But as she walked towards her dressing room, she saw them all slowly getting themselves together and beginning to pack.

"Come Adeline. It's time for you to prepare. We are going to another realm. You are to stay by me at all times," Evander replied.

"Ok. But Evander, I have a question," she asked.

"Yes?" he responded, now looking at her intently with his white eyes. Adeline could almost feel her heart flutter a bit.

"Well…after you touched my head earlier, I could do things I know I couldn't do before! How?" she said, now just picking up her backpack.

"Well…your stone has certain properties Adeline. Not only does it bind you to us, but it gives you the ability to briefly absorb the abilities each of us have for a limited amount of time." Evander grinned calmly. "My species is able to do….unique things. Therefore, I gave you some of my power."

Adeline's mouth dropped open! No wonder she felt so strong and powerful! She was covered in Evander's power.

"I did that to ensure that you would be safe in the cage. When you become more confident, you won't need to absorb anything from me." Evander replied, now brushing his hair from his face.

"That was incredible. But what is your species Evander? I don't think you ever told me," Adeline smiled.

"I am an enchanter Adeline. We have a lot of power and in this realm, we can be similar to a fairy. Only we have a wider range of powers," Evander replied.

"An enchanter? That's incredible! So you all are really made of magic?! You all really exist?! I didn't think anything such as giants, mermaids, or fairies were even real?! But why do humans think you all are still a myth?" Adeline asked.

"That is a story for another time. Now come…we leave tonight. The realm I told you about before. It is called the Dragon's realm; King Ryu is the dragon king." Evander said. Adeline felt her heart go heavy and slowly sink down to her feet.

"D-D-D-Dragon king?!" Adeline stuttered.

"Yes. He is very dangerous and especially lethal towards humans. Adeline you must always stay near me and do not say very much." Evander replied.

"Can't I just stay in the back of the tent?" Adeline asked, not wanting the dragon king to see her.

"No because he will still smell a new scent. He may not know you are human, but he will still want to know more about the new scent," Evander said. "We will disguise you, but as long as you stay by me and do not say too much, you will be fine."

Adeline nodded uncertainly and followed Evander to prepare for the trip to the realm. She was unsure if now being part of the circus was a good idea. Especially if dragons were involved!

A few hours had passed since that conversation and soon everyone was ready to go. As Adeline gently gathered her items, she stood with the others as Evander waved his wand and opened a portal. As everyone began to walk through, Adeline's eyes widened as she began walking from the greenery of the forest to a realm that had red and white shooting starts flying through the air. There was a deep smell of sulfur and lava that filled the air and Adeline's scream got caught in her throat as she saw a large winged beast fly above them. At that same moment, Adeline was pulled aside by Colossus and he placed his head against her stone and closed his eyes. After a second, he pulled back.

"Stay near Evander. If all else fails, you will know what to do," Colossus replied as he took off his collar and grew to his giant height. Adeline nodded and then turned back to Evander who waved his hand and gave her a disguise. Soon Adeline's dark brown hair turned into bright red and her dark brown eyes turned into a bright green. Her tan skin was then turned pale because she was going to be similar to a fairy! Then bright butterfly looking wings sprouted from her back as well! Adeline looked in a nearby puddle and gasped at her new reflection; she, for the first time in years, felt….beautiful.

"W-Wow…is that really me?" she asked.

"Yes it is." Evander said, now waving his wand and placing her in a teal and sparkly blue dress that came to her knees. That made her look like she was a real fairy.

"Welcome guests…please…join me in my castle," a deep voice rang from the sky. Soon, the entire circus was teleported inside a black and red castle. As they appeared in the throne room, they saw the large dragon king sitting on his throne. He had black skin with red markings and large horns that curled at the top of his head. He was intimidating and definitely a sight to behold. He had long and straight black hair that hung wildly around his face and a black loincloth like garment on. He had a long black tail that curled to the side and razor sharp teeth. His yellow eyes pierced right into them all!

"Cirque Mystique…I have waited for your arrival. It has been centuries Evander," the king greeted lowly. Evander walked forward and gently knelt before the king.

"Thank you your majesty. Whenever you are ready, we are prepared to entertain you," Evander smiled.

"Perfect," King Ryu said, now waving his hand and other large dragons appeared in the room. "Begin."

And with that, the performers got into their positions and began the performance! They began to flip and do their dances in perfect rhythm. Adeline stood by Evander just like she was told. But Evander glanced at Ryu and noticed he began to gently sniff the air.

"Adeline…move quietly and quickly to the back of the room. Ryu has caught your scent," Evander replied. Feeling her knees go weak, she gently began to move back. However, Ryu began to sit up more and developed a sly smile on his face.

"Evander…you have a new member of your cast," he crooned smoothly. His voice was deep and self-assured, which made Adeline want to scream! It was like the calm before the storm!

"I assure you King Ryu. Many have joined us since the last time we performed," Evander replied.

"But there is something different here," Ryu said, but gently shrugged and sat back. "No matter. I will find out later. But in the meantime…"

He then pulled out something that looked strangely familiar to Adeline. It was a plate that was filled with meat. Not just any meat…it looked like all strange kinds of meat and some of it was beef! Beef that looked like it came from Earth.

"Guards…do place this in the back room where the performers can have some refreshments. No doubt they will be hungry when they take a small intermission," King Ryu said, now eyeing the performers carefully. "Yes…they will be very hungry indeed." The large dragon guard did as he was told and gently took the meat to the room where the performers would rest. Adeline then watched as King Ryu spoke and talked with other performers who were currently not performing. He was speaking with the centaurs, minotaurs, and even Colossus when he was not doing his act. After an hour or so, she felt wonderful because the king didn't' even glance in her direction. She breathed a sigh of relief to herself.

"I don't think he even noticed me. This is great."

As Adeline leaned against the wall of the castle, she was just about to tell Evander until she gasped as King Ryu made eye contact with her and they locked eyes for what seemed like hours.

"You are new…are you not?" a voice said lowly. Adeline gasped as she heard the voice in her head and put her hands on her ears and looked around the room. "Do not panic young fairy. I mean you no harm."

Adeline turned and saw Ryu lean his chin on his clenched fist as he supported himself on his elbow. He then began to look at her up and down and he grinned at her shyness.

"Shy are you? I have not known many fairies or pixies to be shy before. You are quite unusual," Ryu smiled, now widening his eyes slightly in excitement.

Adeline was beginning to become afraid until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and it was Evander.

"Adeline…what is it?" Evander asked, now staring at her hard.

"Evander…King Ryu is speaking to me telepathically. What do I do?" She said in a slight panic.

"Be calm. He sought you out because your face is new. He is meeting everyone in the cast either in person or telepathically. But whatever you do…do not panic Adeline. I…" Evander paused as Adeline's face took on a slight look of horror. She then eyed back and forth between Evander and the throne. Evander then looked over and saw her reason for panic…King Ryu was standing up and slowly descending from his throne!

* * *

 **guestsurprise: Oh my! Interesting is it not? ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

King Ryu slowly descended and all of the performers stopped and looked at the large dragon king. He sniffed the air more and slowly made his way through the crowd. Everyone moved aside to give the king his space. As he got closer to Adeline, Evander made sure to slowly stand in front of her.

"Is everything well your highness?" Evander asked.

"Evander…you surprise me," came the calm reply.

"Surprise your highness?" Evander responded calmly.

"Yessssssss. This being looks very much like a fairy, but she smells of human blood," King Ryu said, now looking at Adeline up and down. That made the entire room go quiet. Adeline could have sworn she heard her own sweat drip down her face. The dragon king looked at Evander with his cold yellow eyes. "You know my policy about humans."

"Your Highness….you must be mistaken. Do you not see a fairy in front of you from the butterfly clan?" Evander said, now gently motioning to Adeline's wings.

"Evander…you are a young, but wise magician. Your race is known for being cunning and intelligent. However, this particular fairy lacks one thing…." King Ryu smirked.

"I am not understanding what you mean," Evander replied. For he knew that if he openly admitted that Adeline was a human, her life would definitely be in danger.

"This particular fairy demonstrates fear…." King Ryu said lowly, showing a toothy grin. "Fairies and dragons have lived side by side for years…they have no reason to fear us. But THIS fairy is covered in fear."

And with that, Ryu sniffed the air and looked carefully into Adeline's eyes. "You are no fairy young one…you are of human blood. And I do not tolerate humans in my realm."

And with that, Ryu let out a snarl that shook Adeline to the core. But as he lunged for her, Evander rushed in front of her and took the blow.

"EVANDER!" She screamed.

"Adeline move back!" Evander said, now trying to block the dragon king from Adeline. But Evander being attacked made Adeline so angry that she let out a shout that made Ryu look at her in surprise.

"YOU MONSTER!" Adeline bellowed, now feeling herself grow larger and larger and larger! Colossus gave a small smile as Adeline too became a large giant! She then angrily grabbed King Ryu and tossed him into the wall! Evander looked at Colossus and nodded, now understanding that the giant gave Adeline some of his power!

King Ryu got up briefly and shook some dust from his face. He then saw his soldiers getting ready to attack her, but he put his hand up.

"NO! She is mine!" King Ryu thundered, now turning into his pure dragon form and running at Adeline. Now feeling scared, she tried to move back but he grabbed her in his arms and threw her outside in the field. A bit dazed, she gasped as the large dragon king now sat on her legs and pinned her arms down.

"You may be a giant, but you are no match for a dragon king." He smirked.

"G-Get off me!" Adeline demanded, now seeing the others running to help, but were held back by the dragon soldiers.

"I think not. You humans are nothing but trouble. That is why I DESPISE YOU ALL!" He snarled.

"But why?! I've done nothing to you!" Adeline protested.

"Your kind wiped out the Midwestern tribe! Dragons have traveled the Earth for millions of years always searching for new places to colonize. The midwestern tribe landed on Earth, but were driven to extinction by your "Knights" as you called them!" Ryu snarled angrily. "That is why every human I meet I kill…why?...because that's exactly what you all have done to my clan! Your knights of the medieval age even killed the innocent eggs they found!"

Adeline looked intently into his eyes and then let a tear fall down her face. At the sight of the tear, Ryu paused and stared at her hard.

"I-I'm sorry King Ryu. I'm sorry for what Earth people have done. Trust me…they haven't changed much. If anything, they don't even care for their own. That's why even I don't fit in on Earth. But not everyone is evil…just some," Adeline said sadly, now turning her face away, expecting something terrible. She then felt something touch her face and saw that Evander was standing next to her, ready to help defend her if need be.

But Ryu only stared at her. He saw her slowly changing to her human form and he changed back to his more kingly dragon form.

"You…are not like the other humans." Ryu said, now sniffing her. "You are of human blood, but something is different. Your spirit is different from the other humans I have met."

"That is because your highness, she is a part of us. She will now be a part of Cirque Mystique." Evander replied.

Ryu glanced at Evander and back to Adeline. "I will spare your life Adeline because you have accepted the responsibility of your people. No other human has done what you have. However, you still have to give me something to earn your freedom."

"Yes?" Adeline said, now afraid.

"You and I must make a pact that you will never betray me or my kind. If so, I will destroy Earth in a matter of seconds." Ryu said dangerously and his eyes narrowing. "Do you agree?"

"I-I agree," Adeline said, now shaking.

"Good…now give me your hand." Ryu said, placing his hand out. Adeline shakily did as she was told and felt him bite her hand. She cried out in pain and he bit his hand too. Once they both cuts on their hands, he placed his hand over hers. Adeline then watched in shock as a bright yellow light was surrounding their hands! Then in a flash, it was gone!

"What on Earth was that?!" Adeline said in surprise.

"That was a blood oath. You have promised to never betray me and I accept your promise," Ryu said calmly. "Young human…you have earned your freedom."

And with that, Ryu looked at Evander. "Thank you for the performance. I will be calling back on you in the future."

And with that, he opened a portal to the next realm and opened his large wings and flew back to his castle. Adeline just stared at him in awe but she fell down to her feet in exhaustion, clearly shaken up. But she felt better as the griffins, centaurs, and Evander walked over to her.

"Easy now…you're alright," Evander whispered, now cuddling her to his chest.

"I-I can't believe what just happened!" she gasped.

"Now take it easy…what is most important is that you are alright," Evander replied calmly.

"Adeline…you earned the respect of the dragon king. No human has ever done that," Colossus said.

"But I have you to thank! Your power helped me a lot!" Adeline said, now turning and hugging his leg.

"I wouldn't let him harm you Adeline. After all, you belong with us now." The giant cooed, now patting her back.

Evander smiled at the bond between them and then glanced at the sky. "Come everyone. We are heading to the next realm. Adeline, this realm will be a lot safer for you and you will probably enjoy it more."

"Where is it?" she asked.

"It is the Pegasus and Unicorn realm. They love entertainment and when new individuals visit. Theirs is known as the most peaceful realm in the galaxy." Evander replied.

"Last time we were there, we stayed a whole week!" A mermaid chirped.

"And wait a moment…didn't you say we had two more realms we were visiting after the Pegasus realm?" A griffin asked.

"Yes," Evander smiled gently.

"Where are they?" A minotaur asked.

"You all will see. Now let's move." Evander replied, now glancing over and seeing Adeline talking to some firebreathers. Adeline was getting more and more accustomed to being with her new family, but she was a human.

"Evander…do you really think this is a good idea?" a centaur asked.

"What?" he asked.

"Well…Adeline is a human and this is not her world. Are we really doing the right thing by connecting her to us and taking her away from all that she knew on Earth?" a centaur asked.

"I have already thought of that. Do not be concerned, when the time is right…Adeline will know what my final decision will be. But until then…she is one of us." Evander said gently, now walking over and placing a hand on the centaur's shoulder and leading the way to the next realm.

* * *

 **guestsurprise: What do you think guys? ;) Another realm is coming up.**


	7. Chapter 7

As they entered into the realm, there were three flying horses and unicorns there to meet them.

"Greetings! We have been expecting you! Please join us in the main palace! We are eager for your performance!" A flying horse neighed happily, now trotting to lead the way.

As the performers began to follow, Evander pulled Adeline aside gently. "Adeline, it's time for us to do another performance. Here they love high wire and flying acts. However, to keep you safe, you must stay on the griffin at all times."

"Ok." She nodded, but then she grew curious. "But Evander, I have worked with the griffins before and I think I can use my fairy wings instead."

"No young one. Even though you are made like a fairy, you have not used wings before. It is very dangerous to try the first time." Evander warned.

"But Evander, I actually do know how! Look! I practiced as we were traveling to this realm!" she grinned, now flying a bit off the ground and then a few yards into the air. Evander raised an eyebrow but still shook his head.

"Adeline, you will be hundreds of feet in the air. It is too dangerous to try that. Perhaps in another realm, but not right now." He said, now leading her to the main griffin. "Your performance is to ride the griffin to the top of the pole and to take the torch to light the fireworks at the top."

Adeline nodded, but was still very disappointed! She wanted to show Evander her flying skills ever since she heard of this realm.

So she made a different decision. She decided to surprise him anyway!

Later that night…

"Welcome everyone to Cirque Mystique! For our opening performance, Adeline and Colossus will be lighting the fireworks!" Evander boomed proudly in the microphone.

The entire palace clapped in eagerness and then went silent as Adeline mounted the griffin and the griffin took off into the air!

"Ready?" the griffin asked.

"Ready," she smirked, now ready to put her plan into action. Once the griffin was in the air, Adeline proudly flapped her wings at everyone and made them clap even more. Smiling proudly, she then threw the torch and set off a few more of the fireworks.

"MORE!" They cheered.

"Encore!" they cheered even more.

Adeline became so confident that as the griffin began to head towards the ground, she jumped off!

"Adeline!" the griffin said in shock!

"Don't worry! I know what I'm doing!" she giggled, now flapping her wings. Evander's eyes widened in horror and Colossus quickly moved back over to him!

"What's she doing Evander?!" Colossus said in horror.

"She's doing PRECISELY what I said not to do," the young ringmaster growled lowly under his breath. Meanwhile, Adeline was flying higher and higher, getting lost in the cheers of the crowd!

"This is beautiful!" she thought. But what she didn't see was a large firework heading her way! She turned right in time to have it smack her hard against her shoulder and she began spiraling out of control!

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed, now slapping hard against a column in the palace and then hitting the wall hard.

"Colossus!" Evander said, now turning to his giant friend.

"On it!" Colossus replied, now allowing himself to grow to his full height and catch Adeline before she landed on the hard marble floor. Adeline was so injured that she could barely hear all of the gasps and calls around her.

"Is she injured?!" a unicorn asked.

"Get her to the herb pond," Pegasus said, now coming out and landing in front of Evander and Colossus. "We will take care of her."

"I apologize. But I will see to her personally. We can continue the show later." Evander replied.

"Not to worry. See to the young one first. We will discuss the rest of the performance later," Pegasus replied gently, now licking the young girl's face. "Let me know if you need anything."

"I will. Thank you Pegasus," Evander replied.

"You are most welcome. Now come…I will lead you to the herb pond." He said, now showing them the way briskly.

A few hours later, Adeline's eyes slowly began to flutter open. She looked around and saw that the majority of the performers were looking at her and Evander was also there and definitely looking upset.

"Adeline, are you able to sit up? Are you alright?" Evander asked, now helping her sit up.

"I think so…Evander…I…" she began.

"Adeline." He said sternly, now cutting her off. "You deliberately disobeyed me. I told you not to try to fly because you did not have enough experience. You almost got yourself killed back there."

"But I just wanted…" she tried.

"I am not finished speaking." He said, now making everyone cringe. "You put yourself and everyone else in danger with that flying stunt. For this, you are not allowed to perform for the rest of the time in this realm."

"WHAT?!" She gasped. She wanted to perform more than ever because this realm was like a dream! The entire realm was mostly white! It was covered in white trees, white bushes, and a clear and beautiful lake that flowed through it. The sky was the purest blue here and the fruits were even white with edible clear jewels on them! "You can't do this! I just made a mistake!"

"Mistake or not Adeline; in this realm, we all work together. If you cannot work appropriately with the team, then you cannot perform with the team. I'm sorry." Evander replied, still sternly. But Adeline noticed he wasn't yelling at her. He was stern, but not yelling.

"Fine!" Adeline growled, now standing up and beginning to walk into the white brush.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"None of your business!" she snapped, now angrily disappearing into the forest. A fairy was going to follow, but he stopped her.

"Give her time Melodia. Just…give her time," Evander sighed, now turning back and gathering the rest of the performers.

Meanwhile, Adeline angrily walked towards a large pond and winced as she still was feeling sore from her fall. She let a few angry tears fall into the water when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. As she turned, she saw it was Colossus.

"Want to go swimming?" he offered, now gently nudging her. "You can use a dip in this herb pool to heal up those wounds."

"No thank you," she said angrily.

"Awww come on…the perfect place is in front of us," he chuckled.

"I'm not swimming," she pouted angrily. The giant smirked and arched an eyebrow. He then took off his collar and grew to his full height. He then picked her up gently in his hands, making her let out a uncorked yelp.

"Rule number one young one. Never say 'no' to a giant," he chuckled, now walking out into the water.

"No! No put me down! Put me down!" she demanded.

"As you wish," he laughed gently, now dropping her into a shallow part of the pool. Once she surfaced, Adeline watched as the giant got down on her level and began rubbing his face against her whole body. "Now come now…loosen up."

"C-Colossus, stop it!" she pouted, now pushing on his face and trying to be upset.

"Come on…I know you made a mistake and it's true that Evander did need to punish you, but don't let that ruin your time here," he said gently.

Adeline looked away, still upset but began giggling as Colossus picked her up and placed her on his shoulder as he turned and laid down on his stomach in the water.

"Adeline, you're going to smile even if I have to take you back to the land of the giants and let all of my friends tickle you," Colossus said in a half serious and half playful tone. And with that, he rolled his shoulder and Adeline went sliding down his shoulder and onto his back like a slide!

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" She laughed, now landing on his lower back. She shook her head a bit and looked back to see him winking at her.

"See? Now a smile wasn't so bad," he smiled.

"Thanks Colossus. I needed that. Sorry for being a bit rude earlier," she said sadly.

"Don't worry about it. Now HEY! Easy!" he chuckled, now feeling her bare feet walking on his back. Feeling devious, she began wiggling her feet all over the giant's back and then kneeled down and wiggled her fingers on his back.

"GAH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH ADELINE C'MON!" He laughed, now trying to dislodge her playfully. "Come here and get off of there!"

"Nope!" she giggled, now feeling him bounce her and shake his hips from side to side to playfully get the young girl to fall in the water where he could capture her.

"You little mischief maker! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA C'MON! GET OFF OF ME!" He laughed harder.

"Why?" she teased, now tickling him more.

"B-BEAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA BECAUSE I WANT TO HUG YOU!" He laughed, now making her pause. He then looked at her over his shoulder and she was blushing.

"W-What did you say?" she asked softly. He then smirked and noticed she was near his rump. He then bounced her high into the air, making her shout in surprise. He then turned quickly and caught her in his hands gently.

"I said that I want to hug you," he said gently, now bringing her close to his face and nuzzling her. Adeline giggled as she hugged his large face and felt him continue to nuzzle her more with his nose. "Adeline…we're friends. And perhaps over time, you will confide more in me when something is bothering you. I want you to trust me," Colossus said gently, now pulling his knees up and letting her sit on them.

"I do trust you Colossus. I sometimes wish I was a giant too. That way we could always be friends," she said gently. Her statement made Colossus' eyes widen slightly.

"Do you really want that Adeline?" he asked.

"I-I'm not sure. But I do know that I want someone like you to always be my friend," she said gently.

Colossus chuckled and then tickled her neck with a finger. "Adeline, we're always going to be friends. I promise."

And with that, he then gently placed her down as he put his collar back on and shrunk back down to his human size. But Adeline blushed as he got closer to her and gently took her hands.

"Come. I can see your wounds have been healed. Let's go and have some refreshments before the next show." He said, now seeing her look sadly away. "Hey. No being sad now."

And with that, he began tickling her more. Adeline began laughing and ran out of the herb pool with the playful giant behind her. But as they got out, Adeline turned and gave him a playful push and sent him headfirst into some fluffy bushes.

"Hey! Adeline!" he said in surprise, now squirming to get free. But then he began giggling as she began tickling his bare feet too since his lower half was exposed! "HEY! NOAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! C'MON CUT IT OUT!"

But of course, she wasn't ready yet and kept tickling her good friend. What she didn't see was Evander and Pegasus watching from nearby trees.

"They seem to really get along. Giants typically stick to their own race, but Colossus seems to really enjoy her company." Pegasus said.

"Yes…he does…doesn't he," Evander smiled, now turning to Pegasus. "Giants actually prefer to stick to their own realm, but somehow she won their respect. But she still must be careful. She still hasn't met the giant queen and king."

"Will you be visiting their realm to perform? After all Colossus will be going back soon to celebrate his birthing day." Pegasus said.

"Hmmmm…well….we shall see. The circus has been booked for a few centuries now. But…" Evander smiled as she saw the giant squirm more to get free, but was still stuck as Adeline kept tickling him. He even let out a chuckle as Colossus then wrapped his legs around Adeline and made her laugh. "We just may visit…who knows. Because there appears to be more here that meets the eye."

And with that, Evander and Pegasus disappeared into the bushes to talk about the next performance.

* * *

 **guestsurprise: What do you all think? What will the next realm be? What do you think will happen next?**


	8. Chapter 8

As Colossus pulled himself free with a tug, he turned and grabbed Adeline in his arms. As she was a giggling mess, they heard footsteps approaching. They both saw Evander approaching with a soft smile.

"Adeline. I may have been a bit harsh on you. Now what you did was wrong and I want you to promise not to try anything that dangerous again. However, you can still be in the show." Evander grinned.

"Oh Evander I promise I won't! Thank you thank you!" she smiled in pure glee as she ran to him and hugged him tightly. Colossus grinned at how happy the young ringmaster made the young girl. After a few moments, she let him go.

"Now then…let's go. The show must go on. After that, we are on our way to another realm." Evander replied.

"And which realm is that?" Colossus asked.

"Oberon, the king of the fairies, wants us to come and visit him and perform for he and his family. He just got married," Evander replied, now leading the way to the tent.

Once they got to the tent, Adeline had the time of her life! She road on a Pegasus this time and everyone cheered as she twirled fire torches and threw her batons up and down in the air. All of them smiled and cheered for her and the performers! She was getting better and better!

"Evander? Did you assist her at all with any of those skills?" A centaur asked.

"No. I thought you gave her some of your energy in terms of riding," Evander replied.

"No. I did not." The centaur replied honestly.

"I did." A voice replied. Both turned and saw a griffin come into view. His name was Silverbeak. "To ensure she did not fall again, I gave her some of my energy to balance and ride properly. However, she has practiced the fire twirling from the firebreathers," Silverbeak smirked.

"She is definitely learning more isn't she," Evander smiled.

After a few minutes, they all ooed and awed as she then got on the high wire act. But she paused and began to sweat. There was another act that was happening a few feet away from her and it made her absolutely nervous. It was the mermaid act! Adeline was scared to death to swim in deep water. Shallow ponds were fine, but deep water made her scared because she almost drowned as a young girl.

"Focus Adeline," a voice said, snapping her back to her thoughts. She then glanced over and saw a griffin perched next to her. "This is the high wire act…you don't want to lose focus."

Adeline nodded and took a deep breath. She slowly began to cross over the tight rope and Silverbeak watched with his wings outspread in case he needed to assist her. But Adeline knew exactly what she was doing! She did a flip and wowed the crowd and then landed gracefully on the other side.

"Wonderful!" They cheered.

"Cirque Mystique! Cirque Mystique!" They roared happily.

"More! More!" they screamed happily.

Evander smiled happily as she got on the griffin's back and they landed back on the ground. She, Evander, and Silverbeak then took a bow, which led to even more loud cheering. Adeline closed her eyes and began to soak in the beautiful cheers once more and that made her smile even more.

"This is beautiful," she said to herself.

"When you are able to do things for people and make them smile?" Silverbeak smiled.

"Yes," she grinned back, now feeling the roar of the crowd.

"So what is going to happen now?" she asked.

"We prepare for the feast that they prepared for us and then we head to the fairy realm. After that, we will go to the griffin realm," Evander said, now leaning back. But as he and the others headed to the banquet room, he overheard Adeline speaking to one of the minotaurs.

"Are you happy to be joining us?" the minotaur asked.

"Yes! I was super scared at first, but I belong here. I would never belong on Earth. I belong with you all and I always will. In plus…I was nothing." She whispered the last part.

"Nothing?" the minotaur repeated and making Evander's pointed ears sharpen.

"Yes. I couldn't relate to anyone and I wasn't anything special. I wasn't pretty like the other girls and I wasn't good at sports either. I…was nothing." She said, now quickly walking forward and glancing in a crystal mirror. "But look at me now! I have butterfly wings, red beautiful hair, and beautiful pale skin! I'm finally beautiful!"

And with that, she giggled as she ran to catch up with the others, but that made Evander stop in his tracks.

"Is that really what Adeline thought of herself," he said to himself. "She thought of herself as nothing and the only way she will accept herself is if she changes herself?"

"That was not the purpose of her joining us." Colosuss said, now walking up next to him.

"I realize that, but something needs to change here. She cannot go on believing that she was nothing," Evander replied, now closing his eyes and feeling her energy through the stone on her head. The stone not only bound her to them, but it also revealed her past to them. Evander closed his eyes and went through every corridor of Adeline's mind. He saw the victories, the pain, and the discouragement she felt on Earth. He then opened his eyes and looked up at the beautiful blue sky.

"Perhaps…she does need to return to Earth," Evander said to himself.

"What do you mean?" Colossus said in concern.

"Colossus…I am enjoying Adeline as much as you, but there is something wrong here. She is happy to be with us now, but she is not accepting herself for who she really was." Evander replied. "She is thinking that being one of us is "better" than being who she was originally."

Colossus was about to say something, but stopped. He knew that Evander was right and something needed to change.

After the feast, Adeline and the others were settling down for the night in the sleeping quarters. As they did, Evander slowly closed his eyes and let Adeline's red hair and fair wings change. He made Adeline like she was before. She had her dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and her fairy wings became even more beautiful with shades of light and dark brown, and beautiful shades of white. Truth be told, she looked even more beautiful than before by just being herself. Evander grinned at his work and then closed his eyes as he crossed his legs Indian style and went to sleep himself.

The next morning…

"NO! NO PLEASE NO!" Adeline cried out, now seeing her reflection in the water. "Evander why?!"

"Adeline remain calm. There is no need to change yourself now. The danger has passed. Even though you still do look like a fairy," he smiled, now pointing to her pointed ears wings, and sparkly blue dress.

"But I don't want to just be me! I want to be the girl that I was! I was beautiful!" she said, now feeling tears. "I actually felt special Evander!"

"Adeline listen to me! No change or anything I can do can change who you really are! You are beautiful just being you and you always will be!" Evander said sternly, now gently taking her shoulders. "You are ALWAYS going to be beautiful because you are being who you were meant to be."

Adeline was going to argue, but she couldn't with the stern look Evander gave her. But all she could do was hang her head as he pulled her to him in a hug.

"Don't be afraid to be who you are Adeline. You are important and you are loved….never forget that." He whispered as he gently kissed her head. Adeline hugged him tightly and nodded, feeling somewhat better but still wishing she could go back to the way she was. But she knew that he was right…if she didn't try to accept herself the way she was originally, how could she ever learn to be confident?

But those thoughts could wait. She was heading to the fairy realm and the king Oberon was waiting on them! And as she entered into the realm, her eyes burst open! There were fairies everywhere! Many of them had wands and many of them were shapeshifters!

"F-Fairies are real?!" she gasped! "This is amazing! I thought they were only in my mythology books!"

"No they are very real indeed and definitely some of the most party-like of the realms," Shell giggled, now playfully poking Adeline.

"Welcome!" a voice boomed. Everyone turned and saw Oberon sitting on his throne and next to his new wife. He had lavender skin and white flowing hair. He was definitely a sight to see. "I am so pleased you all could make it to my celebration! Please! Enjoy the fruit and drink!"

And with a snap of his wrist, even more drinks and wine were placed on the table! Adeline gulped until Colossus nudged her.

"None for you young one." He smiled. Adeline only giggled and nodded back. But as she was putting on her performance make up, she didn't notice that Oberon was looking at her with an admiring look.

"Oh my! And who is that young human? She is no doubt paying us tribute due to dressing up like a fairy," the king crooned, now watching her closely as she twirled with Evander and prepared herself.

"Your highness! We are here to bring you the performance of a lifetime!" Evander called. Adeline grinned, now feeling a minotaur and centaur both place their heads against her stone. Once it began to glow, she smiled as she then picked up a very large rock and threw it up in the air.

"HARAN TRASMUTO!" She yelled and soon the entire rock blew up into beautiful glitter pieces that surrounded the room and shone bright like confetti! The fairies clapped happily and Oberon's eyes narrowed in admiration.

"How beautiful she is…especially for a human," he grinned, now smirking. His queen smirked because she knew what that look meant.

"Is the king pleased with the young human?" she asked.

"Yes…very much so," he whispered.

"And to begin! We will start with a little magic!" Adeline smiled, now twirling faster and faster until she disappeared. Evander did the same. Oberon's eyes widened slightly, now curious where they both went. After a few seconds, he looked and saw them both appear in a bright light right before his throne! Everyone flinched, except Oberon. He then let out a pleased laugh and clapped.

"Wonderful!" he boomed as the others clapped too. He then winked at Adeline and gently motioned her to come forward. "You are quite young human."

"H-Huh? Human? Uh…" she said, trying to pretend she didn't know what he meant.

"Oh you can't fool me little one. I know more about you than you think," he said, now looking at her harder. Within a second, he stood up and snapped his fingers and her wings disappeared, revealing she was a human! The other fairies gasped and began whispering, but Oberon held up a hand to silence them! He then turned to face the crowd. "If anyone speaks an ill word against her, I will personally send them to my torture chamber. This young human should be treated with respect at all times."

And with that, he waved a hand and returned her wings. Oberon then tilted her chin up and wiped a few embarrassed tears from her eyes with his thumbs.

"Do not be embarrassed. You are beautiful just the way you are Adeline," he said, giving her a smile. After a few minutes, the fairies began cheering and flying around Adeline, gently touching her and giving her praise.

"More Adeline!" a male fairy grinned.

"Yes, show us more Adeline!" another one grinned.

"Cirque Mystique! Cirque Mystique!" the crowed began to cheer. And with that the show continued even better than before. As Adeline turned to join her friends, she didn't see the king turn to his queen.

"Yes…I want her." He whispered.

"A new addition?" The queen giggled. He then wiggled his eyebrows at her and gave her a toothy smile.

"Of course." He smiled. "But….let's wait until the end of the performance."

The queen nodded and smiled. Oberon was never one to not get what he wanted. Never.

* * *

 **guestsurprise: Oh my! What do you think?**

 **newbienovelistRD: Awesome, Amiga! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Once the performance was over, Adeline saw Oberon stand and walk over to her.

"What a performance Adeline. You no doubt are talented." Oberon smiled gently.

"Thank you your highness. This realm is incredible!" she grinned happily.

"So…you've enjoyed everything here?" he asked gently.

"Yes! I've really enjoyed being with Cirque Mystique too! They have been almost like family to me and I have just started traveling with them." She grinned.

"I see." Oberon said, now seeing that Evander was watching from a distance. "So young one…how about coming for a personal tour of my castle?"

"Really? That would be great!" she smiled. "But I better let Evander know where I'm going."

"Nonsense little one. I will let him know where we're going." He said, his smile getting somewhat more toothy.

"Well…I…"

"Come on. All will be well little one…come with me." He said, now picking her up bridal style and flying to the balcony. The queen grinned, knowing what her husband had in mind.

"And so it begins…" she smiled to herself.

Meanwhile, Evander noticed that Oberon had Adeline and his eyes narrowed in concern. He then walked over to Silverbeak and the rest of the performers.

"Everyone. Have your items ready in case we have to leave early," Evander said. Everyone was a bit confused. Evander said that he was going to stay in that realm for at least a night, but it looks like he had had different plans.

"What is it Evander? Where is Adeline?" Shell asked.

"Oberon has her. We need to keep our eyes and ears open. Oberon seems to have taken a liking to her, but I am unsure if that is a good thing or a bad thing," he said gently. "I guess we will know in an hour or so."

Meanwhile, Adeline was walking around the large castle with the large fairy king. He was very polite and treated her with nothing but respect.

"So…you are enjoying being with Evander and his wonderful performers?" Evander asked.

"Yes, they've become like family to me." She answered.

"So where will you stay when they are in their 'off-season.' After all, they will not be performing when we have realm holidays," Oberon said, now smoking from a large pipe-like item.

"Oh? Uh…I'm not sure," Adeline said gently.

"Well, it is something to think about young one. In the meantime, I want your opinion on something." He said, now leading her through a variety of rooms. "Which one of them look the best?"

Adeline's eyes popped open wide as she saw rooms filled with beautiful silks, furs, and beautiful jewels on the walls. It took them at least 15 minutes to walk through at least three rooms.

"It's beautiful! I think I love the one with the dark pink and silver jewels!" Adeline said, now admiring everything!

"Perfect. Because it is now yours," he said, now glancing at her. Adeline's jaw dropped and she turned to the large king!

"W-What?!" she asked.

"Yes. You heard me correctly. It is yours. I have decided to make you part of my harem," Oberon stated, now running his hands through her hair.

"HAREM?! I don't want to be in a harem! And in plus, you have a queen!" Adeline said, clearly disgusted.

"Of course. My queen is always first. But I always have my harem. It is part of our tradition." He said. "I've never had a human in my harem before so you will be a good addition."

"I can't marry a fairy king! I'm not even old enough!" she gasped.

"I can wait until you've matured more. Or if I get impatient I can speed up your life cycle. Magic is of no concern with me." He said, nonchalantly.

"No! I can't marry you! I just can't!" Adeline said strongly. Oberon's eyes narrowed and then he bent down and gently lifted her chin with a sharp claw.

"I understand your reluctance. But rest assured I am a good king. You will be at home here and I will make you happier than that circus ever could." He then bent down more and whispered in her ear. "However, if you keep refusing me…not only will I take you by force, but I will take some of your 'friends' and torture them until they are no more."

Adeline's eyes welled up with tears and she pulled back and looked at him in an angry manner! "You can't hurt them! None of them have done anything to you!"

"I don't harm individuals willingly little one. But I always get what I want…and right now, I want you. Take some time to think about it. Remember that you will be well taken care of and that you will still have a family…us." He said, now gently pulling her to him and making her look at him. "You belong here and you will be just like one of us…a fairy."

And with that, he bent down and pressed a kiss on her jewel and then picked her up. It only took a moment to land with the others in the performance hall. Once he placed her down, he eyed her carefully.

"Remember our talk young one." He said, now turning and returning to his other guests. Adeline let out a defeated sigh and turned as Evander placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Everything alright?" Evander asked.

"No! Evander I'm in big trouble! The king wants me to stay and be in his harem! He said if I refuse he'll harm some of the performers!" Adeline panicked. Evander was quiet a moment and then his face perked up.

"Well then…I guess you will have to stay," he said.

"WHAT?!" She said, almost in a roar.

"Take it easy. We will make him believe you're staying and then make our escape later." Evander replied.

"But how?! He will be watching me." Adeline said.

"Don't worry about it….we will plan an escape tonight," Evander replied, now placing a comforting hand on her cheek. She nodded and he walked over to the others to explain the plan.

Later that night…

Adeline was about to walk out with the performers when Oberon cleared his throat. It was so loud and deep that everyone stopped. As she turned, he smirked and floated over to her.

"Well young one? Are you ready to stay?" he asked.

"Yes, my king." She said lowly. He smirked at her and then turned to Evander.

"I am pleased that you all are not trying to fight it. She will be well taken care of." He said.

"Please take care of her King Oberon," Evander said in almost a whisper.

"Rest assured I will. And now…I will let my guards escort you all to another realm. Adeline will be escorted to the banquet hall," Oberon stated, now clapping his hands.

Evander nodded and he gave Adeline a knowing look before turning and walking out with the others. Adeline felt her stomach churn as the king turned her to face him.

"Come." He said, now leading her back to the others. As they began to walk to the balcony, Adeline saw as most of the performers went through the portal and into another realm.

"Don't forget me Evander," she whispered under her breath. But she gasped as she felt a gentle voice in her head.

"I won't Adeline. I am nearby." The voice whispered. Adeline felt reassured, but what she didn't see was Oberon giving her an amused look.

"You seem glad. I am pleased. Now come…let's join the others." He said, now taking her to meet the rest of his fairy court.

A few hours later…

Adeline was sleeping on the bed when she felt a hand gently shake her. As she opened her eyes, she saw Evander smiling at her.

"I've come for you little one. Let's move." He said, now helping her up.

"But Evander I'm scared," she said, clearly afraid that they would be caught.

"Hey," he said, now making her look at him. "No matter what happens…I will take care of you."

And with that, he picked her up and he balanced like a cat on the window sill. He chanted a few words and soon the window opened on its' own. He then got a firmer hold on her and jumped. Adeline closed her eyes in fear, but she opened them as she heard him chuckle.

"Do not fear. I won't let you fall," Evander said, now hugging her to him. He truly cared for her safety and was not going to let anyone harm her. But as he hugged her, they both heard a deep chuckle. Evander swirled around and noticed Oberon approaching from the darkness.

"I knew that you would be coming Evander. You have never let one of your performers escape through your fingers," he chuckled.

"She's not a performer. She is a part of us," Evander replied.

"Nevertheless she belongs to me now," Oberon smirked. "You can't possibly defeat me Evander. I have powers that are far greater than yours, even though you are a strong magician."

"Evander," Adeline whispered in horror.

"Oh no fear now little one. I will make sure that Evander isn't tortured too long on my rack for attempting this pitiful escape," Oberon said in a low snarl.

"You can't do this!" Adeline protested.

"I can do whatever I please. You are in my realm and my world!" Oberon thundered, now chanting a few words and throwing Evander back into a large tree.

"EVANDER!" Adeline screamed, now feeling something wrap around her waist and hoist her into the air. Soon she was being carried away by Oberon! "HELP! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN NOW!" She screamed.

"Oh hush now, you'll wake my entire realm," Oberon said, clearly not concerned as he chuckled at her squirming. Evander got up and his eyes and hands began to glow.

"STEELCATUM HASSUR!" He yelled. Oberon swirled around and felt a strong iron chain grip around him. He yelled out for iron was painful and weakened fairies! Evander ran to grab Adeline and they heard a loud and angry shout behind them.

"Run! Run Evander! You won't escape me! I have eyes and ears everywhere! I WILL GET WHAT I WANT!" He snarled, now letting his eyes glow angrily.

Adeline began to cringe as Oberon began chanting words that began breaking the chains!

"Don't look back at him! He's playing on your fear!" Evander panted, now opening up a new portal. He almost jumped out of his skin as Adeline screamed. He glanced over his shoulder and his eyes widened as he saw Oberon break free and fly at them in rapid speed. "Hang on!"

And with that, they jumped through the portal with only a second to spare. Oberon let out an angry cry and wiped his white hair from his face.

"You will not escape me that easily…" he said, now making a magic portal appear. "For I know where you are going."

* * *

 **guestsurprise: Oh dear!**


	10. Chapter 10

Adeline and Evander went crashing into the griffin realm, still shaken up that Oberon almost snatched Adeline's ankle! Adeline was clearly shaking, but Evander was there to comfort her.

"Hey, easy…easy…he's gone now," Evander replied, now hugging her to him.

"But Evander…how do you know he's gone for good?" Adeline asked in concern.

"Because no one is allowed in my realm without my invitation," a calm voice replied. Both turned and saw a snow white griffin come into view. "Welcome, I am queen Damia and I bid you welcome."

Both bowed before the queen and she gave them a gentle nudge, showing she wanted them to stand.

"Come…we are pleased you have arrived," she grinned, now showing them the palace. Adeline's eyes widened as she saw griffins soaring above her head and flying from tree to tree! Soon the sky was covered in different colored griffins!

"T-This is amazing," Adeline gasped, now seeing the captain of the griffins come to them.

"Welcome Evander and Adeline. Your troupe is already at our palace. I am to take you both on a short tour of the grounds," the captain said, now turning and nodding. "Climb on."

Evander was about to get on when Adeline froze. She remembered the last time she flew on a griffin; it caused nothing but trouble.

"Adeline? What is it? Climb on," Evander replied.

"No…I-I can't. I just can't!" Adeline protested.

The captain only arched an eyebrow and Evander pulled Adeline close. "You have to get on. It is an insult to not ride a griffin if they offer! They rarely let anyone ride them!"

"But the ones in our circus do," Adeline protested.

"Because they are part of our team. These griffins are from the griffin realm, meaning that no one can ride them without their permission." Evander said.

Adeline nodded and climbed on. But as she got comfortable, she could only remember how she jumped off the griffin and attempted to fly on her own. It ended up where she got seriously injured!

As they began to fly, Adeline began to sweat. So much so that she held on to the back of the griffin's saddle armor in fear. The captain could feel the tension and gentle shook his waist.

"Young one…loosen your grip a bit," he said gently.

"S-S-S-Sorry," she said, still afraid of what was going to happen. But as they flew, there was nothing to fear. They landed safely in front of the palace and Adeline immediately hopped off! The captain only watched her gently, but just walked ahead of them.

"You all will be performing when the moon is high in the sky. We are most active by then," the captain said, now turning and walking inside to stand by the queen's side.

A few hours later…

Adeline was nervous. She had on her costume and she was waiting to do her tight rope act, but there was something that made her even more nervous. They told her at the end, she needed to fly on the back of a griffin to the ground.

"I don't want to fly on a griffin anymore! Don't you remember what happened the last time I rode on one!" Adeline protested.

"You were the one that jumped off and tried to fly with your own fairy wings," Shell answered gently.

"I know that! But I don't want to try flying on one again! Flying period makes me scared after that happened!" Adeline explained.

"Adeline, you can't let fear rule you in Cirque Mystique! We do too many wonderful things to be bound by fear," Shell said gently.

"But I can't fly! I just can't!" Adeline said.

"If it frightens you that much, you don't have to do it," Evander said gently.

Adeline then felt terrible. Even though Evander was being gentle, she felt like she was being nothing but a coward. But she nodded and walked away, now going to help Shell with her water act.

"Adeline, are you sure you don't want to at least try?" Shell asked gently.

"No. I don't want to fly anymore. I learned my lesson when I almost got myself killed," Adeline said sadly.

Shell didn't prod anymore and gently nudged her friend. "Come on…help me get my fins extra sparkly hmmm?"And with that, she splashed Adeline playfully!

"Hey stop that!" Adeline said, trying to sound frustrated.

"Come on, loosen up!" Shell prodded in a friendly manner, now playfully splashing her again. She then giggled as Adeline grabbed her tail and the mermaid went under water. She then let her fin tickle all over Adeline's face, effectively making her giggle cutely.

"STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP IHIHIHIT SHEHEHEHELL!" Adeline laughed, trying to protest, but her friend was too busy trying to cheer her up.

"I'll stop if you smile," Shell responded, now surfacing.

"F-FIHIHIHIHIHIIHIHIHIHIHNE!" Adeline giggled. And with that, she let go of the tail and Shell used her magic to form legs. She then got out of the pool and hugged Adeline gently.

"You'll be ok Adeline. As a team, we will overcome any fear," Shell said calmly.

Adeline only hugged her back and nodded, hoping that she was correct. But the moment they separated, they heard a roar in the distance. The queen griffin quickly walked to her window and she let out a screech of agitation.

"It's Oberon! What is he doing in my domain?!" she growled. Just the name made Adeline freeze! Evander quickly came forward and explained what happened.

"Your highness. Oberon wanted to keep Adeline for himself. He wanted to make her part of his harem but I refused. We barely escaped…and now he wants to take her once more," Evander replied, now kneeling. "I am sorry I brought this upon your realm. I take full responsibility because I am the leader of Cirque Mystique."

Damia only looked at him with her blue eyes and then looked in the distance as Oberon and his army approached. She then looked back to Evander.

"Evander…you should have told me this earlier." She said somewhat sternly. But then she got a gentle smile on her face. "But I understand your loyalty to your group. We will help you. Guards! Assemble!"

And with that, Damia began ordering her guards to lead a counterattack against Oberon and his army.

Meanwhile…

Oberon was flying at a rapid speed towards Damia's castle. "That griffin queen won't be any trouble. The griffins prefer their privacy and will want us gone no doubt."

But his eyes widened as the captain of Damia's army flew at him and almost knocked him from the sky. He then angrily turned and saw an entire griffin fleet heading at them.

"FAIRIES! SHIELDS UP!" Oberon commanded, now placing his shield up. The others did the same. But soon both sides clashed in a battle.

Adeline was watching from the ground and her face welled up with tears. Colossus noticed and approached her.

"Adeline? What is it?" he asked gently.

"Colossus look at this mess I made. People could get seriously hurt because of me!" Adeline said in horror.

"Adeline, we chose to fight for you. You are one of us now," Colossus said in a determined manner.

"And I thank you for that, but LOOK OUT!" Adeline screamed as a fairy came falling down and knocked them both to their feet. Adeline then turned and heard Shell scream as she was being lifted off the ground.

"HELP! COLOSSUS! ADELINE HELP!" She screamed. Now Adeline was feeling anger and disgust; she wasn't going to let Oberon harm anyone in her circus family or the griffin realm. Not today! Adeline ran over to the dazed fairy and pressed her head hard against his, absorbing his powers. The fairy then was out cold, still out of it from the fall.

"For family…" she whispered under her breath, now picking up a tree branch and using the wings on her back to shoot into the sky. Everyone marveled because not only was Adeline flying again, but she was on a mission: to stop Oberon! As she flew, her eyes widened as Oberon was fighting Evander as they exchanged blows.

"YOU FOOL! Just give me the girl and this will stop!" Oberon growled.

"No! You go back to where you came from," Evander snarled. Losing patience, Oberon grabbed his neck and turned him to his own chest and used a choke-hold.

"Give up Evander…regardless I will get what I want today," Oberon whispered angrily.

"NO!" A voice screamed. Oberon turned right in time to feel a thick tree branch hit him! It was enough for him to let Evander go, but enough to make him very angry! He turned and saw Adeline levitating there with the tree branch. Meanwhile, Damia was watching and she was beginning to feel concerned. As much as they were fighting, the fairies were not backing down.

"I need reinforcements," she said to herself. She then closed her eyes and sent out S.O.S to a good friend of hers. "If you can hear me dear friend…please answer."

"I hear you Damia. Are you alright?" came the gentle reply.

"Not really. We are in a battle and I need help," she said urgently.

"On my way." Came the fast reply.

In the meantime, the battle still raged on! Oberon was still battling Evander and Adeline!

"You have courage human…but when you are in my harem, I will teach you to respect your king," Oberon said, now lunging at her and trying to grab her in a bear hug to keep her still.

"Get away from me!" she hissed.

"Stop fighting me! This is getting us nowhere!" Oberon growled. He then snatched her by her arm and Evander ran to stop him!

"LET HER GO!" He demanded.

"Never. As I said before, I always get what I want," Oberon smirked confidently, now seeing Adeline swinging the branch at him again. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed it and tossed it below. "Enough of that…you must act like a lady with your king."

"NO! I will never stop trying to get away from you!" she yelled.

"Pity. Because you will never escape me," he chuckled. Before Adeline could reply, a roar rang in the distance. Oberon turned his head sharply and saw King Lauhin, the tickle monster king, and his army of knights come through a large portal. "WHAT?!"

"Knights, stop Oberon," Lauhin commanded, now levitating up to where he and Oberon were eye to eye.

"Lauhin…" he growled. "This is of no concern to you."

"You are kidnapping. It is of a concern to me. Damia let me know she needed help; now then, let the girl go." Lauhin ordered.

"You have no dominion here!" Oberon insisted.

"No, but I DO!" Damia growled, now flying at him! Soon, Lauhin and the griffin queen began to battle Oberon and it caused him to release Adeline. She then quickly flew down to the ground and met the others who watched as the rulers of different realms pushed the fairy king back. Now outmatched and overpowered, Oberon pulled back and motioned his fairies to stop. He then floated back down to the ground and landed near Adeline and her troupe.

"Well done. You all no doubt have beaten me. But I will be back soon and when I do…" he paused to look at Adeline, "You will be mine. This is far from over. One day you will get tired of always traveling and you will want a real home. And I am going to be waiting for you," he smiled, now bending down and kissing her jewel. He then turned and opened a portal and motioned for them to all follow them. But not before he looked over his shoulder and winked at Adeline. "Yes…you will see me again one day young one." And in a flash, they were all gone!

Adeline just stared in shock! The battle was won and now she was safe…at least for now.

"We got them!" Shell smiled.

"I knew we would! We're strong together!" Colossus grinned.

"And now that we have pushed back the threat…let's all settle down for some refreshments and the show!" the queen smiled.

Adeline then gulped…that meant possibly riding on the griffin again.

* * *

 **guestsurprise: Hope you all are enjoying it!**


	11. Chapter 11

Adeline watched as the others began their routine and she hung her head, feeling sadness overtake her. She wished she had the courage to ride a griffin again.

"Are you alright little one?" a deep voice asked. She turned and saw Lauhin come and sit next to her.

"Not really your highness," she said sadly.

"Oh come now…tell me your sorrows little one." He said, now seeing her turn away. He used his tail to turn her face back to him. "Talk to me."

"I can't Sir," she said sadly.

"Of course you can." He grinned, now turning her more to face him. Sadly she slumped down to the ground and he crouched down too, right in front of her! "You won't be able to escape me that easily." And with that, he bent down and nuzzled her head. "Now come on…speak to me. Let me help you."

Adeline smiled at him and then explained what happened when she flew and how she almost got herself killed. Lauhin nodded in an understanding manner and then lifted her chin with one claw.

"Listen little one. I understand that you made a mistake, but you can't let that stop you from trying again," Lauhin said calmly.

"But I can't! I just can't! I don't think I can ever ride again. And that means I'm in trouble because I was part of the griffin riding act!" Adeline said, now hanging her head.

"Calm down little one. Why don't you try again?" Lauhin said.

Adeline shook her head.

"Adeline, come now…" he prodded.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't," she said again. At that moment, Lauhin got a toothy grin.

"Well can I at least have a hug?" he said. Adeline nodded and went to hug him when the king then hugged her to his chest firmly. She then gasped as she could feel his claws become more pronounced and his body begin to change. She looked up and let out a squeak in shock as Lauhin became a griffin before her eyes!

"EEEEEEEEK!" She said, now falling back. Chuckling, he walked over to her on all fours and smiled.

"Do not fear; it's me. I won't let you give up on your talent. You enjoy riding griffins and so you will ride in this show," Lauhin said, now in a half serious and half playful tone.

"How?! The griffins are already performing!" Adeline protested.

"You will be riding me." Lauhin winked, now using his tail to wrap around her and place her on his back. Adeline gasped because as she straddled him, she noticed he was bareback!

"Y-Your Highness I can't ride like this," she said, now feeling a bit embarrassed since her blue leotard and blue shorts were so form fitting for riding on a king!

"Of course you can." He smirked, now glancing at her over his shoulder. "You are fine. Now hold on to my neck."

"I've never ridden bareback!" she gasped.

"Then today you will overcome your fear of two things: bareback and riding a griffin period." Lauhin smiled, now turning and facing away. His large black wings opened and soon he took off and began flying with the others.

As he made his appearance, queen Damia squealed in pure happiness and the entire room went into an uproar in cheer!

"GO LAUHIN GO!" Damia giggled.

"He looks great as a griffin!" the captain smiled.

"Yes he does!" Another added.

"LOOK! Adeline is riding again!" Shell said, now pointing!

"She did it! She overcame her fear!" A centaur said proudly.

"And of course she had some of the best help," Colossus smiled.

"Yes…help from a king," Evander smiled, now seeing Adeline slowly releasing her death grip on Lauhin's neck.

"Now do your trick. Stand on me!" Lauhin said, now flapping.

"WHAT?!" She gasped.

"You can do it Adeline…I believe in you," Lauhin smiled at her over his shoulder. Adeline was about to protest, but decided that she needed to stop. She needed to believe! If she could overcome all of those other obstacles, then she should have been able to overcome this!

Adeline closed her eyes and began to stand. The entire room went quiet and she stood up tall on Lauhin's back.

"Good job little one," he said. "And now…are you ready for the drop?"

"Yes," she squeaked out. The drop was when she hurled herself upside down and the griffin was to quickly fly under her to keep her from falling to the ground!

"I will not let you fall," Lauhin said, his voice deep and confident! Adeline nodded and within a second she threw herself into the air, feeling sweat form. But as she closed her eyes and jumped, the entire audience roared in glee as Lauhin flew under her, but instead of her landing on his back, he flew upside down and she landed on his stomach. He then wrapped his paws around her and she giggled as he tickled her stomach.

"HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE! HEY!" She laughed.

"I told you I would catch you." He smirked, now tickling her stomach a bit more. He then turned over and as he landed, he made sure her feet were on the ground before he landed on all fours. Once he changed back into his Lauhinian form, everyone stood and cried out cheers of joy!

"WONDERFUL! MORE! MORE!" Everyone cheered out.

"LAUHIN LAUHIN LAUHIN!"

"ADELINE! ADELINE!"

"CIRQUE MYSTIQUE! THE GREATEST CIRCUS IN EXISTENCE!" They cheered.

Adeline took a deep breath and was nudged by Lauhin. She looked at the large king and he smiled at her.

"Take a bow my dear. You have earned it," he said, now leading her to take a bow. She smiled and followed his lead.

"Thank you. You really helped me," she whispered.

"My pleasure young one," he whispered back. He then looked at his captain and motioned him to come over. "My captain…I need you to do something for me."

"Yes my king," the captain said.

"I need you to go to the fairy realm and give king Oberon a small warning from me," Lauhin smirked. The captain only chuckled.

"As you wish," the captain smiled under his helmet, now heading over to the rest of his troupe and telling them what to do. The Lauhinian king smiled deviously as he watched his men head to the fairy realm and give Oberon a little gift.

Meanwhile, Lauhin turned and felt Adeline glomp him happily. "You are so wonderful."

"Why what a charmer you are; I think you all should come to my realm and give me a show as well," Lauhin grinned.

"Oh really?!" Adeline smirked.

"Yes, really…" Lauhin growled playfully, now tickling her waist as he held her. The young girl giggled and Evander walked over to the cute scene.

"I have you to thank your highness for helping this young one," Evander bowed.

"No need to bow. Rise young ringmaster. This was my pleasure; no fear is needed when I am around. I know you all have a lot happening, but I do want you all to come to my realm for a show." Lauhin smiled.

"We would be honored." Evander replied with a large smile.

"And if you would like, you all can stay in my realm for a while until you can travel to the next realm." Lauhin smiled.

"But your highness…it may take at least a week until we can get the portal to the next realm," Evander said.

"We would not want to impose," Colossus said, now coming up too.

"Nonsense. You all can stay with us for a week then! Now come…I want you all to come and visit as soon as possible," Lauhin said, now placing Adeline down.

"LAUHIN!" A voice roared. Everyone turned and saw Oberon appear, brushing his white hair from his face! His face was slightly sweaty and he was agitated. He stomped over to the Lauhinian king, but Lauhin only smirked.

"Why Oberon, back so soon?" Lauhin said.

"Don't play coy with me! You sent those knights to tickle the daylights out of me! Call them off!" Oberon said.

"Why?" Lauhin asked.

"Because I GAH!" Oberon said, now feeling one set of claws tickle his waist. "Halt! Keep your claws away from me!"

"You must remember Oberon. I know your weakness. You simply needed to be taught a lesson," Lauhin said, with a wave of his tails.

"You and your joyful tickling! If you ever tickle me again, I'll…I'll…"

"Laugh?" Lauhin said playfully.

"Oh stop this nonsense." The fairy king growled, now adjusting his kingly attire. Lauhin laughed and motioned for his guards to return. Once Oberon saw they were returning, he looked back at Lauhin. "I must say that was clever for a Lauhinian," Oberon smirked. "Now then…we are even."

And with that, he turned and smirked to Adeline and then disappeared back in his portal. Once he was gone, everyone burst out laughing!

"Did you see Oberon's face?!" Shell laughed.

"He was almost as red as a minotaur's tongue!" Adeline laughed too.

"Who knew the king of fairies was ticklish!" Evander chuckled.

"Try very, very ticklish!" Colossus said, now wiping tears of laughter from his face.

"Let's just say I have ways of knowing things like this," Lauhin winked.

Damia and the other griffins were so busy laughing that it took at least 20 minutes for them to regain their composure. After a few moments, Damia looked up.

"You all have been fantastic and this has been a fantastic show. I do hope you all will come and visit us again soon," Damia grinned.

"Of course we will. And thank you for everything," Evander said.

"Yes, thank you for helping me," Adeline said.

"My pleasure. Now be careful…" Damia giggled.

"Why?" Adeline asked curiously.

"Let's just say…" And with that Damia giggled as Lauhin tickled her wings.

"Ah ah ah…no spilling secrets Damia or you and your realm are next," Lauhin smiled mischievously.

"Adeline, let's just say you're in for a real treat," the griffin queen laughed, now feeling the king tickle her a bit more before letting her go.

Adeline smiled at the cute sight, but squeaked in surprise as Lauhin picked her up.

"Are you ready?" he grinned.

"Yes Sir!" she chirped.

"Then let's go…" Lauhin smiled, now opening up a realm to his world and motioning for everyone to walk through. There was yet another adventure on the horizon!

Within a moment, Lauhin opened a portal and led the entire troupe through into the feathery and beautiful realm. As they all began to walk through, Adeline's mouth dropped open at the feathery trees, grass, and furry dragon-like beings flying around! It was breathtaking. The sky looked like a golden sunset and was positively breathtaking!

"T-This place is incredible!" Adeline gasped.

"And just wait until you've met the rest of the family," Evander chuckled, now knowing about Lauhin's family!

Before Adeline could ask, all seven of Lauhin's sons came out into the open! They grinned at the newcomers and were excited about the idea of a show! Lauhin had told them everything telepathically.

"We cannot wait to see you all perform!" Vivo exclaimed.

"It will be fantastic!" Amio smiled.

"We are so pleased to be here! We have a whole routine for you all!" Colossus grinned.

"Ah, but we would like you all to add another technique to your show," Jocu smirked deviously. Evander only grinned, knowing that the brothers were known to be devious in a playful way.

"What is it?" Shell smirked.

"We want you all to add the feather pit to your show. Since you all have an escape act in your show, we want to see you all escape the feather pit," Jocu smirked, a twinkle in his eyes.

Adeline gulped, not knowing if this was a good idea. A centaur walked forward and cracked his knuckles.

"I will accept your challenge," the centaur smiled.

"Perfect. And we challenge Colossus and we need one more challenger…" Jovi grinned.

"I believe you all should challenge their newest addition here," Lauhin said, now pointing at Adeline. Adeline gulped as all seven of the brothers looked her way.

"Oh my…and who is this charming little one," Blithe soothed.

"She looks almost as good looking as me. Come here darling and let me have a closer look at you," Jape cooed, now moving his hair from his face and approaching her on all fours. Adeline squeaked and hid behind Colossus. This made the brothers chuckle.

"Oh the cutie is shy," Blithe grinned, now trying to get a look at her.

"Well we will soon fix that," Jocu smirked, now getting down on all fours.

"We cannot have a young human fearing us, now can we?" Jovi smiled, now getting down on all fours too.

"How about you all save chasing the young female until the show is over," Jest said, now gently walking over to Adeline and holding a hand out. "Forgive my playful brothers. They can sometimes get carried away."

"It's ok! You all seem really cool!" Adeline smiled, now accepting his hand.

"I am pleased you think so. Now come…let's get you all ready for the show," Jest smiled, now offering her his arm. Adeline reached up and held on as they walked into the castle. It was going to be a wonderful night to remember!

* * *

 **guestsurprise: Hope you all enjoyed it! The grand finale is up next!**


	12. Chapter 12

Before Cirque Mystique began their show, they agreed to do the escape act for the brothers. The centaur, Adeline, Colossus stood in shock as a large feather pit was unearthed and Jocu only smirked confidently!

"Welcome to the feather pit," he crooned, now pointing down. They all saw many multicolored and wiggling feathers waiting for them.

"Brothers place them down gently. If they can escape, we will release them…if not…they are ours to tickle." Jocu smirked.

"This won't be impossible we can do this!" the centaur said, now feeling them placing them down. Adeline gulped. The feathers seemed to wait until all of them were settled. But once they were placed in the pit, Jocu bellowed.

"NOW!" Jocu said. And within a second, they were all laughing hard and trying hard to climb out the sides as the feathers wiggled everyone on their body.

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA TRY TO CLIMB OUT!" Colossus said, now becoming large. The problem? Even though he was becoming large, the brothers were waiting to tickle him and keep him from getting out too fast! "HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEY NOAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"We were ready for you giant!" Vivo smiled, now climbing up on his shoulder and tickling his ears.

"We knew you would use your size to escape, so we decided to make sure you enjoyed the pit longer," Jovi said, now throwing a potion at him. It then shrunk him back down to the size of an average human!

"Got him! Now get the others!" Jape said, now hanging upside down by his tail by a vine! The others followed suite!

"PLEAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH CUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHT IT OUT!" Adeline pleaded, now feeling Jocu and Blithe get her ribs and sides in addition to the feathers' wiggling!

"Oh I don't think so!" Blithe crooned in her ears.

"YOU SAID WE WOULD HAVE A CHANCE OF ESCAPE!" The centaur laughed out, now feeling Amio jump on his back and tickle him.

"Tickle tickle tickle!" Amio cooed.

"Gotcha!" Jovi said, now tickling the centaur behind his ears.

"Yes we did promise that didn't we," Jest said, now motioning everyone to stop. "Give them five minutes to escape my brothers."

"FIVE MINUTES?!" The three said in shock.

"Now four minutes," Jape smirked.

"Better hurry…." Jovi crooned, now watching them with a smug smile.

Adeline immediately tried to climb up the vines, but she was soon eye to eye with Jocu who winked at her.

"Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock…" Jocu teased, now counting down with his fingers and still hanging upside down.

"Go away!" Adeline laughed without heat, now trying to get out! The centaur and Colossus were almost out too when Lauhin walked over and gave a devilish smile.

"Times up…" he said, now hanging upside down too and tickling them too!

"NOAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Adeline laughed, now feeling a large feather pull her back down and wiggle under her shirt.

The other feathers then grabbed the others and pulled them down into the pit and the princes and king only laughed. Even the other circus performers were chuckling and laughing at the cute sight. As tears poured down their faces, Lauhin held a hand up.

"Enough now. Let them up." He commanded gently. The brothers nodded and helped them each out of the pit. Once they were out, Jocu gently bit them in the neck with his recovering venom. Once they felt better, Adeline jumped up and glomped Jocu happily.

"You guys are hilarious, but that was fun!" she giggled.

"Speak for yourself," the centaur said without heat.

"I know! I can barely walk now," Colossus laughed.

"Oh there is plenty more to come," Jocu winked, now tickling Adeline's sides.

"But we will let you all have a chance to perform," Lauhin laughed, now leading them to the rest of the circus troupe. It was about to be a magical night!

Later that night…

Adeline smiled proudly as the others performed their acts. A centaur just jumped through five rings of fire and Adeline performed her griffin act again! She then performed the rings of fire act!

"I'm going to throw you some fire balls! Be ready to juggle them!" the firebreather said.

Adeline nodded and began to juggle the balls of fire that were being thrown at her! Everyone began to cheer, including the brothers!

"She's very talented!" Jocu said.

"I know! They trained her well!" Vivo answered.

"Do you think she will always stay with them?" Jovi asked.

"Hard to tell. Evander said that he had a surprise for her later," Jocu grinned. The others nodded and began to clap as the show continued! They cheered even more as Shell chanted some words and turned the lake she was in into a water dragon that sprayed the entire audience!

"MORE! MORE!" They cheered.

"And that is from the Jewel of the sea! Shell!" Evander said, now pointing at her and grinning. Shell then did a few flips and dove back in the lake.

Colossus then stood and began to juggle a few large boulders as if they were softballs! Everyone marveled at the strength of the giant and that wasn't all! As he was juggling, he was balancing five of the other performers on the top of his head! It was marvelous!

"GO COLOSSUS! GO SHELL!" Adeline cheered in glee! She was having the time of her life! As she was cheering, Evander came and walked up to her.

"Want to do one more act Adeline?" Evander smiled warmly.

"What is that?" she smiled.

"Well…this one is very special. I want you to be part of the grand finale. This is an act where we all stand on each other's shoulders and we form a very large pyramid that touches high into the sky. I want you to be at the top." Evander smiled.

Adeline's mouth dropped open. Climbing at the top of the performer's pyramid was a great honor, but she was nervous. She would need someone's powers in order to reach the top.

"You won't be alone," Evander replied, now gently touching his forehead against her stone. Adeline then watched as all of the performers lined up behind Evander and took turns touching her stone.

"For your friendship," Shell said, now placing her forehead against the stone.

"For your bravery," the centaur said when it was his turn.

"For your loyalty," the minotaur said, now touching it too.

"For your love," Colossus said, now touching it as well.

"For your strength," Silverbeak whispered, now touching it.

"And…for being you…" Evander whispered, now touching the stone one more time since he did it before. Adeline's eyes welled up with tears as she hugged each of them when they touched her stone. Soon, every performer had given Adeline a small portion of their power. She could feel the love and strength of them all soaring through her blood! She felt invincible! She then watched as each of them formed a large pyramid that began to reach the sky!

When it was her turn, Adeline took a deep breath and within a few minutes she made it to the top! Once she was at the top, she yelled at the top of her lungs! "CIRQUE MYSTIQUE! THE GREATEST SHOW IN EXISTENCE!"

And with that, the entire tickle realm roared in pure glee and joy! So much so that Adeline's eyes widened as shooting stars began to swirl past them in the sky! The show was making the entire realm burst in happiness and joy! Adeline felt tears of joy fall down her face! What a place to live in and be! She was finally apart of something real! A real family!

As the night slowly came to a close, Evander pulled Adeline aside. He told her that he wanted her to see something. Nodding, she went with him. But as they walked through the forest, the feather trees became more and more green-like. She then gasped as she was now looking at a new realm. But it wasn't just any realm…it was Earth! She was standing in the same field where they first met!

"W-What's going on?!" she said, now looking down and noticing that she was wearing the same clothes too as the night she met the circus. It looked like nothing changed at all.

"I brought you back here Adeline to give you a choice. I brought you with us to make sure you could keep our secret. You proved that you can and now you are free to go back home if you want to." Evander replied gently. Adeline's eyes opened wide. She felt her forehead and noticed the jewel was gone too! "Yes…you are truly able to go back now if you wish."

Adeline didn't know what to say. She knew that she was taken by them when they first met, but they had been nothing but good to her. They treated her like family and now they were giving her the option to go home.

"If you do go, we will miss you. But you have a right to choose your home Adeline." Evander replied, now gently touching her face. "Regardless, we will always think of you as one of us."

Adeline looked at him and then quickly hugged him around his waist, not wanting to let go. Within a moment, she let go and looked up at him strongly.

"I thank you for releasing me and giving me a choice Evander. But I want to stay with you all. You all are my family now. Even if I went back, there is nothing that I want there. I want to stay with you all…" she said. "It honestly didn't feel like I was taken. You all were kind to me and took care of me. I-I felt like I was with a family."

"Well, my intention was not to kidnap you. My intention was to make sure you could keep our secret. If so, you would have a choice. If not, I would have erased your memory," Evander smirked.

"B-But you could have erased my memory all that time." Adeline said.

"I could have…but there was something about you that made me want to learn more about you. After all, few humans are brave enough to enter my circus," Evander chuckled, now gently ruffing her hair. Adeline only giggled and hugged him.

"Evander…" she said gently.

"Yes?" he replied.

"I'm ready now." She smiled.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yes…to go home. Let's go back to Cirque Mystique…my new home," Adeline smiled. Evander chuckled and picked her up and spun her around.

"Yes little one. Let's go home." He smiled. And with that, he waved his wand and they went back to the tickle realm.

Meanwhile…

Oberon growled from his castle. Sensing that Adeline's jewel was gone, it ruined his plan for the young girl. But then he let out a small laugh

"Do not fear young one…I will always be waiting for you. Always…" he whispered, now letting his green eyes peer from the darkness as he let out a deep chuckle that rang through the halls of his castle.

Back at the Tickle Realm…

Once Evander and Adeline arrived, everyone was waiting for them with tickle treats and Jocu walked over to greet them.

"Welcome back! We were going to take a ride on the tickle dragons!" Jocu said, now whistling. The large dragons came and laid down, ready for their passengers.

"Where are we going?" Adeline asked.

"We knew that Evander was giving you a choice little one," Jest said.

"And because you chose us, we asked the brothers and king for a small favor," Shell grinned.

"And what is that?" Adeline smiled.

"Hop on and find out," Lauhin winked, now motioning for her to climb on his dragon with him. Adeline giggled and felt the large king help her up.

"Hang on and close your eyes," he said, now feeling the dragon rise off the ground.

Adeline was about to ask, but Lauhin arched an eyebrow and gave her a knowing look. She then smiled and closed her eyes. When she was told to open them, she let out a shout of surprise! There was a sign written in the stars! It said:

"Welcome home Adeline."

Adeline burst into happy tears and Lauhin cuddled her to his chest. She couldn't stop thanking them all!

"You all are so wonderful! Thank you! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" She called out, now blowing kisses to everyone and hugging everyone in reach once the dragon landed back on the ground. Everyone loved her and embraced her, happy that she decided to stay.

Once Adeline got to Evander, she ran and tackled him to the ground.

"Hey!" he chuckled.

"What's the matter? Can't handle a tackle!" she teased.

"That does it," he said, now gently wiggling his fingers in her side. Adeline's eyes hot open and she began laughing! She had no idea that he would retaliate like that! He was known for being serious, not playful!

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! NOAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! DON'T!" She laughed out.

"Why?" he smirked, now wiggling his claws into her armpits.

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I-I DIDN'T…IHIHIHIHIH DIDN'T…" She laughed.

"You didn't know I'd get you did you?" Evander said evilly. "Well we are in the tickle realm and you deserve this for tackling me."

And with that, he lifted her and literally went to town on her stomach! Everyone was laughing and smiling at the cute sight! Evander was the last person anyone expected to engage in a tickle fight, but he had Adeline in an adorable embrace as he then wrapped his arms around her and tickled her stomach!

"PLEAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA EVANDER NOAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Adeline laughed, now getting his abs as she turned to face him. Evander let out a chuckle and grabbed her wrists.

"Oh no you don't!" he said, but he laughed as she then pulled free and attacked his neck and his pointed ears. For a stoic and serious ringmaster, Evander was letting her tickle him in a playful attack.

"Well, well…who knew Evander would grow soft," Colossus smiled.

"It just took the right one," Lauhin grinned, now watching them.

Within a moment, Evander sat up and Adeline slunk down in his lap, now looking up at the tall ringmaster.

"You are something young one," he said with a genuine smile.

"Evander I love you!" Adeline smiled, now hugging him hard around the waist. Evander's eyes shot open and a slight, very faint blush grew on his cheeks. After a second, he snapped out of it and looked down at the young girl hugging him.

"And I love you too Adeline," he said, now nuzzling the top of her head. "Welcome home." And with that, he hugged her tightly back.

Adeline's journey with Cirque Mystique had come to an end, but she gained more than experience and self confidence. She was now part of one of the greatest circuses and families in the galaxy….Cirque Mystique!

COME ONE COME ALL, COME TAKE A PEEK!

COME SEE AND LEARN FROM CIRQUE MYSTIQUE!

OUR STORY NOW HAS COME TO A CLOSE,

CRY AS YOU MIGHT,

WE WILL STILL CLEAR YOUR WOES.

WE LIVE IN YOUR HEART AS WELL AS YOUR MIND

TO BRING JOY TO YOU AND ALL OF YOUR KIND!

FOR NOW, WE BID YOU GOODBYE AND GOODNIGHT!

BUT LOOK TO THE MOON

WE WILL SEE YOU IN THE LIGHT!

* * *

 **guestsurprise: I hope you all enjoyed this grand adventure of Cirque Mystique! And do not forget to look out your window and stare at the moon from time to time. You never know if Evander and his troupe are looking back at you. ;) (*takes a bow and tips my ringmaster hat*)**

 **newbienovelistRD: Lol! Hats off to you indeed, Amiga! This was an incredible story! :)**


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